


Needs Must When the Devil Drives.

by Saltandburnboys



Category: Supernatural RPF
Genre: Age Difference, Age flip, Lap Sex, M/M, Rimming, bottom!Jensen, protitution, set in Victorian England, top!Jared
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-01-17
Updated: 2013-06-20
Packaged: 2017-11-25 20:44:33
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Rape/Non-Con, Underage
Chapters: 18
Words: 27,231
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/642791
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Saltandburnboys/pseuds/Saltandburnboys
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Jensen was sold to Miss Cohan at the age of eight to settle his family’s debts, and is eagerly awaiting his day of release when he finally turns twenty one.  But one night a new customer buys his time and gives Jensen hope that he maybe won’t have to wait as long as he thought to get out of this hell.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer- Clearly this is an AU story; none of this ever happened. I do not own any of the actors in this story, especially not Jared or Jensen, they all belong to themselves. Jared and Jensen are not in a relationship, have never been and have no desire to be in a relationship; they are both happily married and not to each other which is awesome for both of them. With babies now!! J Michael Weatherly and Lauren Cohan are not the assholes I make them in this story; I’m sure they are both awesome in real life. No money was made from this story. 
> 
>  
> 
> Set in London around 1850 – I’m terrible with period writing so I used modern speech – if this is massively jarring, let me know, but the prompt kind of needed to be set back in the old days, I think. 
> 
>  
> 
> Author’s note: This is based on the spn_kink meme prompt:
> 
>  
> 
> Basically, it's the Victorian era (or whatever era writer wants) and Jensen is a prostitute in a brothel (past non-con, hurt!Jensen). No younger than 15, please.
> 
> Jared is a businessman who takes to staying the night at that brothel when he is in the city. He and Jensen get to know each other a bit and he learns Jensen was sold into servitude for 6, 8 however many years to pay off his family's debts.
> 
> Jared wants to help Jensen and get him out of there but there is nothing he can do since there are x number of years still left on Jensen's contract.
> 
> Instead, he takes to caring for the young boy whenever he is there. For example, if a john has been too rough with Jensen, he'll buy his services for 2 days and spend them tending to him. Whoever runs the brothel is displeased with their growing relationship, as Jensen brings in a lot of money and she/he hoped to keep Jensen after his contract was over, but won't turn down a paying customer.
> 
> Sex can be h/c or kinky (rimming, and lapsex are my only requests) but writer can add whatever they want.
> 
>  
> 
> This story will fill my ‘slavery’ square on my h/c bingo card. 
> 
>  
> 
> A/N2: I’m really not sure if this is any good at all; it feels like ages since I’ve written anything and my period writing is pretty crappy. Please tell me if you guys think it’s completely awful and I’ll rehash it but I really wanted to post something so…here it is… :-S

 

 

** Needs Must When the Devil Drives. **

 

Jared couldn’t quite believe it but he was well and truly lost.  He hadn’t seen a single building or street or shop front that he recognised in the last two hours and he, honestly, had no idea how this had happened.  He’d grown up here, for God’s sake, how could he possibly be lost?  Sure, he hadn’t been home in a couple of years but, still, how could the city have changed that much?

 

Jared turned the corner, groaning when he saw the grimy ‘Tooley Street’ sign for the third time that evening, and slammed his bag down on the floor.  It was late and he was tired, and he _just_ wanted to get some sleep.  He was sure that if it hadn’t been the middle of the night, he would’ve have been able to find his way back to his hotel but, as it was, he resigned himself to fact that he wouldn’t see the place again until tomorrow. 

 

Jared looked around, grimacing at the peeling paint and dirty windows surrounding him; this really wasn’t a part of London someone of his standing should ever have wandered into.  But it wasn’t like Jared had many options now so he would just have to make do.  He spied a little tavern tucked away at the end of the street and made his way towards it; Jared was sure he would at least find a bed there and, hopefully, a very strong whisky. 

 

Jared pulled his jacket close against the biting wind as his long legs quickly ate up the cobbled street beneath his feet.  Soon enough, he reached the inn but before he opened the door, Jared paused to stare up at the building’s chipped and discoloured facade and the old, weather beaten sign swinging above his head.  He could only hope that the place was better kept on the inside than it was on the outside; taking a deep breath, Jared let himself in the door. 

 

The tavern was hardly better lit than the street outside, but that wasn’t wholly unexpected given the lateness of the hour so Jared quickly made his way up the bar to ask for a room. 

 

‘Of course, Sir, we’ve got _everything_ you might possibly want here.’  Jared frowned at the girl’s provocative tone as he handed over his bag, but she was gone before he could say anything.  Not a moment later, another girl had taken her place behind the bar so Jared just shrugged off the encounter and ordered a drink.   In all honesty, as long as he got a room he couldn’t care less about how inappropriate the staff were.  As soon as his whisky hit the bar top, Jared slid some coins to the new serving girl, picked up his drink and strode over to a chair in the corner; he was sure his room would be ready soon but, even so, he’d much rather sit comfortably in a chair than try to perch on a stool while he waited.  

 

It wasn’t until Jared had settled back in the chair and his eyes had adjusted to the dark room that the first serving girl’s behaviour started to make a little more sense.  Now, he could plainly see a girl straddling the lap of an older gentleman at the other end of the room and another knelt between a young man’s legs not two feet from his left.  Jared turned his attention back to his drink and finished it off in one; he might be the black horse of his family, but this was going a little far, even for him. 

 

So despite his tiredness and the fact he’d already given over his things, Jared hastily made his way to the door; it would do his reputation no good to be found in a place like this.  But just as his fingertips touched the doorknob, there was a sharp cry behind him.  Jared whirled round and saw a boy sprawled on the floor, his hand held to his cheek as he stared up at the angry looking gentleman standing over him.  When it looked like the man was going to strike the boy again, Jared stepped forwards and grabbed the man’s arm, pulling it behind his back. 

 

And suddenly, everything in the inn, in the _brothel,_ stopped, and all eyes turned to him.  Including those of the boy on the floor - wide and green and…stunning.  ‘Get the hell of me!’ His captive yelled, struggling against Jared’s hold, but Jared wasn’t a small man by any means and it wasn’t hard for him to keep the man at bay.  ‘Are you insane?’

 

‘Me?  No.  You, though, I’m not so sure,’ Jared replied as he looked down at quickly reddening hand mark on the boy’s cheek.  He wrenched the man’s arm higher on his back at the sight and asked in as civil a tone as he could manage, ‘Now, if I let you go, are you going to attack the boy again?’

 

‘What the fuck do you care?  He’s a whore, he’s nobody…’

 

Jared’s grip tightened and he was tempted, just for a moment, to break the man’s arm and show the brute first-hand what it was like when someone stronger used their power against him.  However, before he’d decided what he was going to do, a small hand came to rest on his arm, ‘Sir, you need to let Lord Weatherly go now.’

 

Jared frowned as he looked down at the petite woman standing by his side.  It was obvious from her appearance and the way she carried herself that she was the Madam of the house.  Jared thought she might have been a beauty once upon a time, but now too many layers of make up and too hard eyes ruined any residual prettiness she might still possess.  ‘Excuse me?’

 

‘You need to let him go.  Lord Weatherly’s bought Jensen for the night and it’s none of your business how my customers want to spend their time.’ 

 

Jared stared at the woman in disbelief; surely she must care for the boy more than that?  The lad couldn’t have been more than seventeen years old, and, in a place like this, he needed someone to look out for him.  But as his eyes drifted back to the boy, still sprawled on the floor, Jared could plainly see the bruises that marred his fair skin – hand prints around his neck, rope burns around his wrists and probably a multitude of marks hidden under the boy’s clothes where Jared couldn’t see.  ‘I’ll pay double.’  The woman’s eyes widened, ‘For the boy,’ he clarified, ‘whatever Lord Weatherly’s paid for him, I’ll double it.’

 

The woman’s eyes turned calculating and a slight smile pulled at her blood red lips, ‘Of course, Lord…’

 

‘Winchester, Samuel Winchester,’ Jared lied; he really didn’t need to bring the name of Padalecki into any more disrepute.

 

‘As you wish, Lord Winchester.  A room will be made available for you once you’ve settled your bill for Jensen,’ the woman said, sending a subtle nod to the girl behind the bar.

 

‘Now, wait just a minute,’ Lord Weatherly began, ‘I’ve paid for that boy, I _booked_ him weeks ago, and I’m not leaving here until I get my money’s worth.’

 

‘Well, Sir, if you would like to top Lord Winchester’s offer, I’m sure we could work something out,’ the Madam replied serenely and Jared couldn’t help but feel a little sick at how comfortable she was with selling the young boy, _Jensen,_ to the highest bidder.

 

‘I shouldn’t _have_ to, he’s mine, I’ve been using him for years,’ Lord Weatherly ranted and that was what finally convinced Jared to let the man go, unable to endure touching him any longer.  Years?  Jesus, how old had Jensen been when he’d started working here?  And _using_ him, like Jensen was some kind of…some sort of _toy_?  Any residual doubts Jared might still have had about buying the boy for the night flew out the window at that; there was no way he was leaving him alone with this asshole.

 

But the Madam didn’t look at all moved by the Lord’s angry protestations; instead, she began to move away.  ‘Don’t walk away from me, Miss Cohan,’ the second Lord Weatherly touched her arm, three large men emerged from the shadows and pulled him back.  Jared wondered bitterly where they’d been when the Lord had been assaulting the boy on the floor.  Lord Weatherly instantly deflated, obviously realising that he wasn’t going to get his way tonight unless he played the Madam’s game, ‘Fine, I’ll pay whatever you want.  Just send the boy up to my room.’

 

The Madam’s eyes flickered to Jared, clearly expecting a counter offer from him, and while he was sickened to be drawn into such a cruel and heartless game, he answered nonetheless, ‘Believe me, I can top anything Lord Weatherly’s willing to pay for the boy.’

 

He risked a glance at Jensen then, where the boy was just staring up at them all with wide, terrified eyes and Jared’s heart clenched painfully in his chest.      

 

‘So what shall we say, gentlemen, twenty pounds for the night?’ 

 

Jared’s eyebrows rose at the amount and Weatherly spluttered with indignation; it _was_ a horrifically high price to charge in a brothel, but Jared was more than prepared to pay it.  From the irate look on Lord Weatherly’s face, though, Jared hazarded a guess that the other man was not.  ‘That’s outrageous, I’m not paying that kind of money for a gutter whore like him.’

 

Jared didn’t miss the way the boy flinched, and he glared at the Lord for a moment before he turned to the Madam, ‘Well, _I_ am.’  He passed a twenty pound note to the small woman and tried to ignore the look of glee on her face as she snatched it away and stuffed it down her chest. 

 

‘Thank you, Sir.’  Her eyes drifted to Jensen, ‘Jenny, take Lord Winchester upstairs and show him how very grateful you are for his generosity.’

 

Jensen was on his feet in an instant, his hand finding Jared’s and pulling him out of the main room and towards a flight of stairs.  As he followed the boy, Jared felt a twinge of unease; he really wasn’t all that sure of what he was supposed to do now.  He’d never hired a prostitute before, and in the front room, he hadn’t really been thinking of anything past keeping Lord Weatherly away from the boy.

 

He took a deep breath, consoling himself with the knowledge that at least he’d done that; whatever happened tonight, it couldn’t be worse than leaving Jensen with that terrible man…right?

 

NEXT.


	2. Chapter Two.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So here’s the next chapter…hope you guys like it ‘cause it’s super cheesy and probably crap but here it is anyway…

** Chapter Two. **

 

Jared let himself be guided into a small room off the stairs.  Inside, there was a large bed, decked out with expensive silk sheets and plush pillows, but the rest of the room was pretty much in disrepair.  The oval mirror hanging above the dressing table was cracked, one of the doors was hanging off the wardrobe, and Jared was sure that the wooden slat covering the broken window wasn’t enough to keep the cold wind out at night. 

 

His attention was taken away from the sorry state of the room, though, when Jensen stepped in front of him.  The boy looked up at him with those wide, bambi eyes and asked, ‘What do you want, Sir?  I can do anything for you.’  To his shame, Jared hardened at the smooth, seductive tone of the boy’s voice.  It was wrong, Jared knew it; that bedroom voice, that seductive smile, didn’t belong to this angelic face but he couldn’t help his body’s reaction.  ‘Come with me.’  Jensen took Jared’s hand again and led him to the bed, gently pushing him down to sit on the edge. 

 

Jared watched, transfixed, as the boy stripped down; he watched as the thin cloth pants dropped to the floor, followed by the loose white shirt until the boy stood naked before him.  And he _was_ beautiful, worth every penny Jared had paid and more - the perfect mix of innocence and sin and Jared suddenly understood why Weatherly had been so desperate to have him. 

 

Jared was lost in the face of such devastating beauty; every thought in his head flew away as though they’d never been there as Jensen moved to straddle his lap.  Jared moaned as Jensen’s bare ass rubbed against his still pants-covered erection, and his hands came up to grasp at Jensen’s back almost unconsciously; he couldn’t help tracing his fingers across the smooth skin, letting them glide along the sensuous curve of the boy’s spine.

 

Jensen arched into Jared’s touch, grinding down into the tall man’s lap and kissing along his jaw.  Jared took one hand off Jensen’s back and dropped it into the boy’s lap to tug at his erection; he was a generous lover, always had been, and he wanted Jensen to enjoy this as much as he did.  But his fingers didn’t meet hard flesh like he expected and when Jared looked between them to find out why, he saw that Jensen’s cock was soft, lying flaccid against his thigh, completely unaroused by what they were doing. 

 

And that brought Jared back down to earth like a kick in the stomach; what the hell was he doing?  He pushed Jensen roughly off his lap, regretting the action instantly when he heard the boy’s bare ass collide hard with the floor.   ‘I’m sorry,’ he said, reaching out to pull Jensen up; he wasn’t sure whether he was apologising for pushing the boy or for forgetting the real reason that he’d bought Jensen for the night.  It was probably a little of both.

 

But Jensen didn’t look angry or hurt; he just stared at Jared, his expression a little lost, ‘It’s alright.  Did you not want it like that?  I could lie on the bed,’ the boy gestured to the mattress, ‘and you could…’

 

‘No! No,’ Jared said quickly, interrupting the boy; he really didn’t need that image in his head when he was already having a hard time controlling his urges.  ‘I thought we could, maybe, just get some sleep.’

 

Jensen looked confused at that, ‘Sleep?’

 

‘Yes,’ Jared replied, taking off his jacket and laying it on the bed so he wouldn’t have to look at the boy as he continued, ‘I’ve had a long day and I could really use a few hours of peaceful sleep.’  Not to mention that Jared was pretty sure Jensen hadn’t slept a night unmolested in years, and the boy definitely looked like he needed it. 

 

‘You _just_ want to sleep?’  Jensen asked again, his expression even more confused than before. 

 

‘Yes,’ Jared confirmed, taking off his shirt and pants and moving to the side of the bed. 

 

Before he could get under the covers, though, Jensen was standing next to him, ‘I…could…I could get someone else for you, if this isn’t what you want?’

 

Jensen was still naked and Jared had to force himself to keep his eyes trained on the boy’s face as he replied, ‘No, I don’t want anyone else.  You’re perfect.’

 

‘Then why..?’  Jensen shook his head, ‘Why won’t you let me…I can…I can do it; I promise I’m good at it.’

 

Jared gave the boy a sad smile, reaching up to cup his cheek, ‘I don’t doubt that, Jensen.  But you need to sleep.’  He pulled away and slid under the covers.  Jensen stared at him for a long moment, clearly unsure as to what to do, so Jared scooted over and lifted up the sheets.  Jensen took a tentative step forwards and then slipped under them as well. 

 

The boy lay stiffly in the bed and Jared turned on his side to watch him, ‘Sleep, Jensen.’  He reached over and laid a hand on Jensen’s shoulder, squeezing gently, ‘Sleep.’  With one last worried look at Jared, Jensen closed his eyes, and not more than a minute had passed before the boy was asleep.

 

Jared smiled, glad that he could give Jensen this, as he too drifted off to sleep.

 

NEXT.

 

 


	3. Chapter Three.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: this is a terribly short chapter, I know; I’m going to try and get the next one up by the end of the day! Even so, I hope you guys like this one…

 

** Chapter Three. **

 

More asleep than awake, Jared shifted on the mattress, groaning loudly at the lingering memory of warm, wet suction on his cock.  He could almost feel that amazing mouth still on him, those hands still resting on his thighs, that wicked tongue still licking the head of…

 

Jared’s eyes sprang open and he found Jensen knelt between his legs, his mouth wrapped around Jared’s hard cock.  ‘Jensen!’  Jensen looked up at him, through those long, dark lashes, and Jared couldn’t help the thrill of arousal that coursed through him at the sight… _Jesus,_ the boy could tempt a saint to sin _._ ‘No, Jensen, stop!’ he forced out as he pushed Jensen away. 

 

Jensen was gone immediately, and not just off Jared’s cock, but off the bed completely; he was standing at the other end of the room before he finally stopped moving.  ‘I’m sorry, sir, I just…you were moaning my name and…and I felt you and…and you were hard and I just…I thought that’s what you wanted…I’m so sorry…please don’t tell Miss Cohen…I’m sorry…’

 

Jared pulled the sheets over himself again, biting back a groan as the silk rubbed against his still hard dick, ‘Come over here, Jensen.’  And the boy did, his eyes wary and his shoulders hunched over like he expected to be hit.  God, how had someone so innocent ended up in a place like this?  ‘It’s alright, you just startled me that’s all.  No-one’s going to be telling Miss Cohen anything, okay.’

 

And Jensen looked so relieved, so _grateful_ , that Jared just wanted to pull him into his arms and never let go.  Jensen bit his lip, ‘I can…do you want me to finish that for you?’  And _fuck_ , Jared did; the enticing picture Jensen made, standing there with those red swollen lips and that shy blush dusting his pale cheeks, was almost enough to make Jared say yes.  Almost.   

 

But he knew that wouldn’t have been right.  Jensen didn’t want to do this; he was only offering because he thought it was what Jared wanted so, after a moment, Jared shook his head.  He wouldn’t be like all those other men; those men who had taken something from Jensen that they had no right to, no matter how much money they’d paid for him.  Jensen was a person, not a possession, and even if Jared was the only one who treated him as such, it was still one person more than Jensen had had before.

 

Jensen stared at him, his eyes wide with something that looked terribly like awe, before he moved towards the bed; he stopped right in front of Jared, leaned down and pressed a soft kiss to his cheek, ‘Thank you, Lord Winchester.’

 

As he pulled away, Jared caught Jensen’s cheek in his hand, and stared into the boy’s green eyes, ‘Jared; my name’s Jared Padalecki.’

 

Jensen smiled, a soft smile that so different from the one he’d given Jared the night before, ‘Thank you, Jared.’

 

And with that, Jensen disappeared into the small bathroom off his room, leaving Jared to get dressed and make his exit.

 

NEXT.

 


	4. Chapter Four.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: I’m not sure if I hate this chapter or not but I felt we needed a bit of a look into Jensen’s mind here. I wanted to go into a little of his background as well so…I don’t know…
> 
>  
> 
> HAPPY BIRTHDAY DEAN WINCHESTER!!! (I’m so sad, I know!)

** Chapter Four. **

 

** Jensen.  **

 

Jensen had never seen an angel before, never even believed in them before he’d met Lord Padalecki…Jared.  But now he did.  No-one had ever treated Jensen the way Jared had; the man had touched him like Jensen was something precious instead of something filthy; like someone who deserved to be loved, not scorned.

 

Of course, Jensen knew that Jared would never return to the brothel, but that didn’t mean he couldn’t dream about the man.  And he did; every night when someone hurt him, when someone held him down and forced him to do what they wanted, Jensen just held on to the memory that there was someone out there who didn’t think that he was completely worthless, someone who saw him as more than the used up whore he’d become.  

 

‘Jensen!’  Jensen startled at Miss Cohen’s yell, cruelly torn from his thoughts of Jared, and quickly sprinted across the landing to her room.  He knocked once before being granted entry; he kept his eyes lowered, like she’d taught him, as he made his way across the room to her bed.  ‘Lord Weatherly will be here in an hour to see you, Jensen.’  Jensen frowned; it was only four o’clock in the afternoon, his clients never came to the brothel before dark.  ‘He needed a little while to calm down after his last visit and he wants to make up the time with you tonight.’

 

Jensen gulped; that wasn’t good...not good at all.  Lord Weatherly was rough at the best of times, so Jensen could only imagine all the ways the man planned to make him pay for the humiliation he’d suffered two weeks ago. 

 

Jensen forced himself to stay still and not turn his face away as Miss Cohen ran her fingers lightly over his lips.  ‘Now go and make yourself pretty, Jenny; can’t afford for Lord Weatherly to lose interest in you now, can we?’ 

 

 _God, if only,_ Jensen thought bitterly before he nodded and went back to his room to do as she’d said. 

 

****

 

Jensen closed the door quietly, his stomach roiling with nerves as he thought about the night he had ahead of him.  Before he knew what he was doing, Jensen was striding over to his dressing table and pulling open the drawer.  He lifted out the only thing in there, a single sheet of yellowed paper, and quickly read over the familiar faded words on it. 

 

Three more years.  He only had three more years left before Miss Cohen let him go and he could make a fresh start - get a job that didn’t involve letting people hurt him and have a life of his own.  Jensen ran his fingers across his parents’ signatures, like he had a thousand times before, feeling that old, familiar sadness wash over him.  Had he really been that dispensable?  That easy to give up for a measly hundred pounds?

 

Jensen had been at the brothel since he was eight years old, young enough that he could barely even remember his parents’ faces.  He dreamed of them sometimes, though; he dreamed that his mother had his green eyes and that his father had dark blonde hair like his own.  Of course, Jensen knew that none of that was likely to be true, that the faces he saw in his dreams were probably nothing like the faces his parents really had.  He knew that it was just something his mind had conjured up so he wouldn’t feel so lost…so alone; something to give him comfort in the cold and brutal world he lived in.  Unfortunately, the comfort their faces provided had lessened with every passing year, with every year they hadn’t come for him.

 

He’d started off just cleaning the rooms, helping out in the kitchen, doing pretty much all the menial tasks that no-one else had wanted to do.  He’d thought back then that Miss Cohen was sending money to his parents for the work he was doing…that this was simply a job like any other.  It wasn’t until the week of his tenth birthday that he’d been well and truly disabused of that notion.  Miss Cohen had handed him over to one of the older men at the bar and sent him upstairs with no warnings at all about what to expect.

 

Had Jensen known what the man had wanted, he would’ve fought harder, _done_ something…not that it would’ve made much of a difference.  Jensen had been bought and paid for; he hadn’t had a chance of getting through that night with his virginity still intact.  He’d cried the whole time, begging his mother and father to save him, begging the man to stop…begging God just to let him die. 

 

But none of that had happened so the next day Jensen had snuck out, bruised and sore, with a few things packed in a small bag over his shoulder.  He’d been determined to find his parents and tell them what Miss Cohen had made him do. 

 

One of Miss Cohen’s men had stopped him before he’d even gotten one foot out the door, of course, and that…that had been when the Madam had shown him the contract.  Told him that his parents had sold him to pay off the debt they owed her and that his contract lasted until he turned twenty one. 

 

Jensen had just sat there in shock as Miss Cohen had gone on to explain, in great detail, what would happen if Jensen ever tried to run away again…what she’d do to his family.  Safe to say, Jensen had never tried to escape again.  His family might’ve rejected him, might not have wanted him anymore, but he still loved them, and he wasn’t about to let anything happen to them because of him.   

 

Lord Weatherly had visited the brothel for the first time shortly before Jensen’s twelfth birthday; the man had taken one look at him and dragged him upstairs.   Jensen hated him more than any of his other clients; while they all treated him like the cheap whore he was, Lord Weatherly was different.  He seemed to delight in causing Jensen pain, making him bleed, and Jensen dreaded every session they had together.     

 

Jensen placed the contract carefully back in the drawer and sat down on the rickety chair in front of the dressing table.  Just three more years.  He looked up into the broken mirror on the wall and wondered if there would be anything left of him in three years’ time…if Jensen Ackles would even still exist once the contract ended. 

 

As he stared at his cracked reflection, Jensen couldn’t help but think that the answer was probably no. 

 

NEXT.

 


	5. Chapter Five.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N2: Another short chapter, I know, but I’m at work so I should really go and do some work now. I’ll try and get the next chapter up tonight if I’m not too tired. Hope you guys like this one though… :-S

** Chapter Five. **

 

** Jared. **

 

Jared couldn’t explain it, couldn’t explain why he was back at here, given how he now knew what the place really was and what being seen here could do to his reputation.  But he hadn’t had a decent night’s sleep in two weeks just thinking about the brothel, about Jensen; he just needed to make sure the boy was okay then he’d be able to move on.  He was sure of it. 

 

Mostly. 

 

Jared was just about to open the front door when a hand grabbed his arm and pulled him into the alleyway next to the building, ‘What the hell?  Get off me!’  He ripped his arm away, glaring at his assailant, only to realise that it was one of the girls that worked for Miss Cohen, ‘Is there something I can do for you, miss?’

 

‘You’re the man who helped Jensen the other night, right?’  He nodded and she quickly added, ‘And you’re here to see him again?’

 

‘Yes, but I don’t quite understand what that has to do with you,’ Jared replied, his suspicions growing; the girl asked too many questions for his liking, and questions never led to anything good, especially in a place like this.

 

‘Well, Miss Cohen’s booked him to see Lord Weatherly tonight so she won’t let you see him if you go in that way.’  Jared slumped back against the wall, disappointment hitting him harder than he would’ve expected.  ‘But, I can help you; I can let you in the back door so you can see him first if you want.’

 

And that offer did nothing to dispel Jared’s suspicions; he couldn’t see any reason why this girl would help him and he really wasn’t in the mood for any tricks tonight, ‘Why would you do that?  Why would you help me?’

 

She smiled at him then and Jared realised for the first time that, under all the make-up and tattered clothes, she was a terribly beautiful girl; sad and lost, but beautiful nonetheless, ‘Because he’s told me about you, about what you did.  And when he talks about you, he almost seems happy and _you_ did that.  It doesn’t last long, of course, nothing ever does here, but you…you make it better for him so…’ she shrugged and looked away.

 

Jared placed a hand on her cheek and lifted her face to his, ‘Thank you; I’m glad he has at least one friend in there.’

 

Her eyes glistened with tears as she looked up at him, ‘I can’t protect him; not from her and not from any of the men she gives him too, but I try to put him back together again when they’re done with him.’  She placed a hand on Jared’s chest, her slender fingers gripping his shirt, ‘But it’s getting harder, Lord Winchester, he’s dying in there and I’m…I’m not he even sees it anymore.  Every day he shines just a little less brightly, and I don’t…I can’t stop it but maybe…maybe _you_ can.’  She let go of his shirt then, smoothing it back down.  ‘Come on, I’ll take you up to his room; you don’t have much time before Lord Weatherly arrives. 

 

The red headed girl led Jared through the back door of the house and up the rickety staircase.  He tried to be as quiet as possible as to not alert anyone to his presence, but, in the end, it didn’t even matter since they didn’t meet a single soul on their way up to Jensen’s room; Jared assumed that the rest of the girls and guys were getting themselves ready for the night.  ‘Here we are.’  She came to a stop outside the worn looking door Jared recognised from his first night here. 

 

Just as she turned to leave, Jared caught her hand, ‘Wait, what’s your name?  Just so I know who I’m indebted too.’

 

‘My name’s Danneel, but you don’t owe me anything, Sir; just…just be good to him and that’s all the thanks I need.’  And then she was gone, her red dress trailing after her down the dimly lit corridor. 

 

NEXT.

 

 


	6. Chapter Six.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N1: I meant to get this up two days ago but it got really late and I can’t edit when I’m starting to feel tired – writing at 3 in the morning, yes, editing, no! So sorry about the delay and I really, really, hope it’s worth the wait (fair warning; it’s probably not but it’s the best I can do!) Not sure about the sex – not really my strong point but at least it filled some requirements of the OP’s request; not that I ever expect them to read this – the OP’s of the prompts I steal never seem to, lol! 
> 
>  
> 
> A/N2: Lol, had to look up 1850’s trousers and see if they had zippers or buttons – Wikipedia said they did have flies so I went with that.

** Chapter Six. **

 

Still a little wary of disturbing one of the other brothel workers, or worse, Miss Cohen, Jared decided it was best not to knock before he let himself into Jensen’s room. 

 

None of the candles were lit inside the room, but the sun was just setting outside the window, providing enough light to bathe the room in a soft glow.  The faint luminescence masked some of the room’s shabbiness and made it seem warmer, almost welcoming.  Or perhaps that was just the knowledge that Jensen was somewhere inside. 

 

It wasn’t until Jared’s eyes had taken in the whole room that he realised Jensen wasn’t there; a little confused, he stepped away from the door and moved further inside.  He’d just made it to the bed when he heard someone singing; the voice was soft, barely audible even in the silence of the room, but Jared knew, without a doubt, that it was Jensen.  He sat down on the bed, listening to the hushed melody as he waited for Jensen to come into the bedroom. 

 

Jared knew that he should leave; clearly, the boy was alright; if he was singing and bathing then he had to be alright…but what if…no, Jared had to _see_ Jensen for himself.  He knew he wouldn’t feel comforted until he saw the boy, whole and unharmed, before he left.  It would only take a second after all. 

 

It wasn’t long before Jared heard the sloshing of bath water and the sound of Jensen climbing out of the tub; he rested his hands on his thighs, not sure what to do with them, as he waited for Jensen to join him.  He absolutely wasn’t prepared for the sight that greeted him as Jensen strode across the room to the small wardrobe next to the window; he clearly hadn’t seen Jared in the low light of the room since he was completely bare and still singing softly under his breath. 

 

And he was stunning.

 

Jared had thought that maybe his mind had exaggerated Jensen’s beauty, painted him as some almost ethereal creature, simply because Jared couldn’t have him.  But looking at Jensen now, Jared realised that his mind hadn’t lied, hadn’t exaggerated a single thing about the boy; he really was as breathtakingly perfect as Jared remembered, and Jared couldn’t help but stare at him in wonder. 

 

He must’ve made some sort of noise because just as Jensen pulled open the wardrobe door, he glanced over his shoulder at the bed; the boy startled when he saw Jared sitting there and quickly grabbed a shirt to cover himself.  An adorable blush rose to his cheeks as he stuttered, ‘My Lord, I didn’t expect...I mean, Miss Cohen didn’t say you required my services this evening.’

 

Jared raised his hands in what he hoped was an unthreatening gesture as he replied, ‘I don’t, Jensen; I just came to see if you were alright.  Miss Cohen doesn’t even know I’m here; your friend Danneel let me in.’

 

Jensen was silent long enough for Jared to think that he might’ve said the wrong thing, but before he could try to explain himself better, the boy asked in a hushed voice, ‘You just came to see if I was okay?’  Jared nodded.  ‘You didn’t come here for sex or a dance or anything like that?’  Jared shook his head.  Jensen let out a disbelieving laugh, his lips curving up into a genuine smile, ‘Are you even real?  Are you sure I didn’t just dream you up or something?’

 

Jared patted his chest once.  ‘Feels real to me,’ he said with a grin.

 

Jensen’s smile changed then, becoming softer, more intimate, as he crossed the room to the bed.  He stopped right in front of Jared and placed his hand on Jared’s chest, right over his heart.  ‘You feel pretty real to me too,’ Jensen said, his voice low and his eyes heated.  The boy’s hand moved to the buttons of Jared’s shirt, his deft fingers flicking them open one by one. 

 

Jared grabbed Jensen’s wrist the moment he realised what the boy was doing, what he was offering, because while Jared wanted that more than anything, he wasn’t going to take it when Jensen was only doing it as some sort of screwed up payment for his kindness.  If Jensen didn’t want this, then Jared didn’t want it either.  ‘No, you don’t have to do this, not for me.’

 

‘I know.’  Jensen dropped the shirt he’d been using to cover himself and climbed gracefully onto Jared’s lap.  ‘And that’s why I want to.  No one has _ever_ given me the choice before; no one has ever treated me as anything but a whore.  But you…you’re different, and, even if I only get to have this once, please let me have it with you.’

 

Jared looked up at the naked boy in his lap, at his pleading green eyes blown almost black with lust, ‘God yes, Jensen; of course, anything you want.’ 

 

Jensen immediately reached into Jared’s lap, working the fly of his pants open and delving into Jared’s underwear to pull his cock free.  He was already hard, had been since he’d sat down on the bed, the thought of Jensen in the bath more than enough to have him straining in his undergarments. 

 

Jensen pushed off Jared’s lap then and crawled across the bed to grab something from the top of the nightstand, inadvertently giving Jared a most enticing view of his round, pert ass.  Jared closed his eyes and took a deep breath as he tried not to come from that sight alone.  It was difficult to say the least.  He opened his eyes again just in time to see Jensen climb back onto his lap and settle comfortably on his thighs. 

 

‘Is this hard for you, my Lord?’ the boy asked lightly, a playful grin on his beautiful face as he bounced once on Jared’s lap and, just like that, Jared’s control broke; he reached up, wrapped a hand around Jensen’s neck and pulled him down into a kiss.  Jensen gasped against Jared’s mouth, clearly surprised by the move, and Jared couldn’t deny the smug satisfaction he felt at that; for once, he wasn’t the one left feeling off balance by all this.    

 

When they finally parted, Jared kept Jensen close, their foreheads resting against one another as he whispered against the boy’s lips, ‘You have no idea.’

 

Jensen laughed, the sound light and carefree in a way that Jared was sure Jensen rarely was, ‘I think I have _some_ idea, Sir.’

 

Jared’s witty retort got stuck in his throat as Jensen rose up on his knees, dipped his fingers in the bottle from the nightstand and reached behind himself.  The way Jensen’s breath hitched as his fingers breached his body was, without a doubt, the sexiest thing Jared had ever heard and he was sure that it would feature as the soundtrack to many of his solo fantasies for years to come. 

 

Jared dropped his hands to Jensen’s hips as he watched the boy work himself open, his eyes transfixed by the erotic mix of pleasure and pain playing out on the boy’s face.  It was addictive and mesmerising and Jared wasn’t sure that he would be able to look away even if he wanted to; it was as though Jensen had cast a spell on him, and now the only thing Jared could think about was the boy seated on his lap.

 

Jared wasn’t sure how much time had passed before Jensen finally removed his fingers from his ass and curled them around Jared’s cock.  His chest felt tight, anticipation and excitement and desperation all warring for dominance, as the boy swept his oiled fingers down his hardened shaft once and lined it up with his slick, open hole.

 

But before Jensen could slide down, before the boy could take him inside, there was one last thing Jared that had to do; he tightened his grip on Jensen’s hips and stilled the boy’s movements.  Jensen looked at him questioningly and Jared was sure that he saw a hint of fear in the boy’s eyes, ‘Are you sure?  Are you _sure_ you want this and that you’re not just doing it because I want to?’

 

The fear melted away at his words, replaced by something warm and almost reverent as Jensen replied, ‘I’ve never been more sure of anything in my life.’  And with that, the boy rocked down onto Jared’s erection, gasping a little at the sudden stretch but not stopping until he was sat back on Jared’s lap with his face pressed into Jared’s neck.

 

Jared closed his eyes, trying to get himself back under control; the tight, warm heat of the boy’s body was almost enough to push him to completion before they’d even started.  They stayed like that for several moments; their bodies pressed tightly together as they each adjusted to the feel of the other. 

 

It was Jensen who eventually broke the silence, whispering a hushed curse into Jared’s skin.

 

‘Are you okay?’   Jared asked, wrapping his arms up around Jensen to hold him close.  He could feel the boy shaking, his whole body vibrating against Jared’s, and Jared wasn’t sure what to do.  If Jensen needed to, they’d stop this right then…Jared would do whatever Jensen wanted, whatever he needed to feel safe.

 

The silence continued, and Jared was just about to lift Jensen off his lap and call the whole thing off when the boy breathed against his neck, ‘Yes.  It’s just…it’s never felt like this…it’s just I…’ he paused, swallowing loud enough for Jared to hear, ‘I feel whole for the first time since I came here…for the first time in years.’

 

Jared smiled as he realised that Jensen wasn’t afraid, that he wasn’t in pain; he was just overwhelmed and Jared could more than relate.  He tightened his arms around the boy as he replied, ‘I know exactly what you mean.’  It was true; Jared had been drifting for years, always feeling like something in his life was missing; he’d just never imagined he’d find that something living in a downtrodden brothel ten miles from his childhood home. 

 

But he was glad that he had because Jensen was right; Jared _did_ feel whole, complete, in a way that he never had before.  This was what he’d spent his entire life searching for and, now that he’d found it, he never intended to let it go.

 

Jensen pulled back then, sitting up straight in Jared’s lap; the boy’s face was flushed and his eyes were bright and he was so fucking beautiful, it almost hurt to look at him.  Jared’s hands stayed loosely curled around Jensen’s hips as the boy rose up, his eyes staring into Jared’s, and dropped back down.  Jared couldn’t bite back the groan that slipped past his lips as Jensen’s ass slapped against thighs, couldn’t help the way his fingers tightened on the pale skin of the boy’s hips as he urged him up again. 

 

Jensen found his rhythm after that; slowly sliding up and down Jared’s cock with his plush bottom lip caught between his teeth and his eyes still boring into Jared’s.  The image of Jensen riding him, of that tight, lithe body bouncing in his lap, was one that Jared knew would be burned into his mind until the day he died. 

 

The flush on the boy’s cheeks had deepened and his body was covered in a light sheen of sweat as he changed the angle of his descent slightly.  Jared knew the instant Jensen found that special place inside him; the boy’s eyes all but rolled back in his head and his hand shot up to grip Jared’s shoulder tight enough to bruise. 

 

Jensen increased the speed of his hips, keeping them at that new angle, as he rocked his body down faster and faster and Jared was all but lost in a sea of lust and arousal and perfect, _perfect_ heat.  He couldn’t help the way he pushed at Jensen’s hips as the boy lifted up or the way he slammed the boy back down onto his cock; couldn’t help it when every time Jensen sank down now, every time Jared pounded into that pleasurable spot, he let out this breathless little gasp.  A breathless little gasp that Jared needed to hear more than he needed air right then.  

 

All too soon, Jared felt heat pooling low in his stomach and he knew that he wasn’t going to last much longer.  It didn’t matter though, because from the way Jensen’s eyes fluttered every time he sank down, from the desperation colouring his every movement, Jared could tell the boy was close as well. 

 

So the next time Jensen rocked down onto him, Jared seized the boy’s face and crashed their lips together.  Jensen came with a cry, the sound muffled by Jared’s mouth, and coated their stomachs with his release.  And that, that quiet sound of pleasure, coupled with the tight, clutching heat of the boy’s channel was enough to send Jared tumbling over the edge as well.

 

It took a moment for Jared to come down back down to earth after that, not unsurprisingly since he didn’t think he’d ever come so hard in his life, but once he had, he lifted Jensen’s sweaty body off his own and laid him down on the bed.  Jared then took a moment to shove the messy sheets aside before stretching out next to him, his head propped up on his hand at he looked at the boy.

 

‘That’s the first time I’ve ever done that because I wanted to,’ Jensen whispered, his words laced with wonder as he stared into Jared’s eyes. 

 

Jared reached out and to cup Jensen’s cheek, ‘I’m sorry; this is not the way your life should’ve played out.’  He kissed Jensen chastely on the forehead, ‘I wish this had been your first time; that your first intimate experience with someone else happened because _you_ wanted it and not because someone made you do it.’  Jensen’s eyes dropped then, his dark lashes fanning over his cheeks, and it wasn’t long before a tear slipped down the boy’s face.  Jared brushed it away with a gentle swipe of his thumb, ‘If I could turn back the clock, baby, I would.’

 

Jensen sniffed once before taking hold of Jared’s hand and pulling it to his chest; the boy looked up at him then, his eyes wet, ‘I know you would but that isn’t possib…’

 

Jensen was interrupted by the door slamming open and Danneel rushing inside, ‘Jen, Lord Weatherly will be here any minute; you need to get ready.’  She sounded panicked and looked even worse; from the way Jensen paled at the reminder, Jared couldn’t blame her.  ‘You need to leave now, Jared,’ her eyes darted nervously to the door, ‘I’ll take you out the back way again; no one need know you were ever here.’   

 

But suddenly, Jared didn’t want to leave; he didn’t want to leave Jensen with that bastard…didn’t want to leave Jensen, period.  ‘No, I’m not leaving,’ he said as he sat up in the bed, ‘I’m not leaving without Jensen.’  Danneel’s eyes widened but Jared ignored her in favour of turning to the boy next to him, ‘I want you to come with me.’

 

Jensen shook his head, his face angled away from Jared as he moved to get out of the bed, ‘I can’t.’

 

‘You can; I’ll take care of you, I promise,’ Jared insisted, following Jensen out of the bed in spite of his nudity; he had more important things to worry about right then than his modesty. 

 

‘ _No_ , I can’t,’ Jensen repeated, still with his back to Jared.  ‘I can’t explain it right now but I need you to go; I need you leave, Jared.’  Jared’s mouth dropped open in shock; what was Jensen talking about?  He was just about to protest, to say that under no circumstances was he going to leave, when the boy turned to him, his eyes wide and desperate, and whispered, ‘ _Please_ , do this for me; if you truly care for me, you’ll do this.’

 

Jared’s shoulders slumped; he _did_ care for Jensen and if this was really what the boy wanted, then Jared would obey.  He wasn’t happy about it and it didn’t mean that he wouldn’t be back the very next day to demand an explanation for all this.   Whatever it was, whatever reason Jensen thought he couldn’t leave here, Jared was sure he could sort it out.

 

Mind made up, Jared strode across the room and pulled the boy into a kiss; Jensen pressed his body close and Jared deepened the kiss, desperate to leave a part of himself with Jensen even after he was gone.  Even after the boy gave himself to Lord Weatherly.  He cupped Jensen’s cheek, the gesture meant to be both possessive and comforting, ‘I’ll be back tomorrow.’

 

Jensen nodded but he wouldn’t meet Jared’s eyes and Jared just knew what the boy was thinking; he was thinking that Jared wouldn’t return, that he’d gotten what he wanted and now he was done.  Well, the boy couldn’t have been more wrong and Jared was going to prove it to him.  ‘I’ll be back tomorrow,’ he repeated firmly, pressing another kiss to Jensen’s lips.  With that, he released the boy and turned to follow Danneel out the door.

 

Just one day and he’d be back; just one day and then he’d take Jensen away from all this and the boy would never have to be afraid again.

 

NEXT.


	7. Chapter Seven.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N1: Sorry for the wait; I have no excuse except that RL has been a bit crazy this week. I really hope the update is worth it (probably not but never mind)…here it is! 
> 
>  
> 
> A/N2: This chapter is a bit graphic so if you’re squeamish, please, please, check the warnings first! xx

** Chapter Seven. **

 

Jensen sat on the edge of his bed, freshly washed and dressed only in the green silken robe Lord Weatherly had given him for his sixteenth birthday.  He knew the man liked to see him wearing it, and Jensen hoped that that would be enough to make the Lord forget about the other night. 

 

His skin tingled slightly from where he’d quickly washed himself in the bathroom; from where he’d scrubbed the smell of Jared from his body and the tear tracks from his face. 

 

Jensen had wanted so badly to take Jared up on his offer, to run away with him and never look back…but he couldn’t, not while Miss Cohen still held the contact over him.  The Madam had made it abundantly clear the pain she’d rain down on Jensen’s family if he even _thought_ about running away a second time…so no matter how much he might want to leave, it just wasn’t going to happen.

 

Jensen had long ago accepted that his life wasn’t some fairy tale; he’d accepted that Prince Charming wasn’t coming to rescue him.  And, Jared, well, he had all the makings of the Prince Charming Jensen had always dreamed of but didn’t deserve.  Heroes don’t rescue people like him, heroes don’t rescue people who don’t _deserve_ to be saved, and it was only a matter of time before Jared saw Jensen for what he really was - a damaged, sullied whore not worth a damn – and abandoned him.  Hell, he probably already had; Jared must’ve realised it by now, he must’ve realised that Jensen didn’t deserve his help.  Yes, Jared was gone and he wasn’t coming back.

 

And, honestly, Jensen couldn’t blame him. 

 

Jensen took a deep breath, blinking the fresh tears away, and sat up straight on the bed.  Even if it hadn’t been real, even if Jensen hadn’t found that soul-defining love all the books wrote about, that didn’t mean he couldn’t keep the fantasy, the _dream_ of Jared, in his head.  Keep it with him in a way that he couldn’t keep the man himself.

 

He scrubbed a hand down his face, hoping Lord Weatherly wouldn’t notice the freshness of the marks on his skin; when the man booked him, no-one else was allowed to touch Jensen that night. 

 

Jensen tried to keep his breathing steady as he heard the man’s heavy footsteps on the staircase and he was doing a pretty good job of it, right up until the door opened and Lord Weatherly strode into room. 

 

The man looked angry, his mouth set in a tight line and his expression grim, but Jensen had been right; no-one could’ve missed the flash of possessive heat in the Lord’s eyes when he’d caught sight of the robe.  The man crossed the room in three long strides, grabbed Jensen by the arm and dragged him to his feet.  Jensen hesitated for a moment, unsure as to what the man wanted, before sliding slowly to his knees.

 

A strong hand shot out and gripped his arm to stop his descent, however, and Lord Weatherly hauled him over to the side of the bed.   The world tilted on its axis as Jensen was manhandled onto the man’s lap, his stomach lying on the Lord’s thighs and his feet barely touching the ground.  Jensen just about stopped himself before he tried to push up and away; if this was what the Lord wanted, then Jensen would obey.  It would only be worse if he didn’t.  So he settled into position, despite every instinct in his body yelling at him to run. 

 

His stomach churned nervously as he forced himself to stay still, to lie submissively over the man’s lap.  They’d never done this before and Jensen didn’t like the idea of the Lord trying anything new when he was so angry; the man’s games were sadistic enough without adding his obvious fury to the mix.  

 

Jensen heard the door open and he tried to look over his shoulder to see who it was, but Lord Weatherly dropped a hand onto the back of his neck and held him down.  ‘Now, Jenny, before we start anything tonight, I need to get something straight with you.  I know what happened last time wasn’t completely your fault, but you have to understand that I can’t let it happen again.’  Jensen tensed in the man’s hold, his shoulders bunching and his hands curling into fists…he really didn’t like the sound of that.  Lord Weatherly stroked what was probably meant to be a soothing hand down his spine but the touch was nothing but chilling to Jensen.  ‘Don’t worry, sweetheart, I’ve found a way to make sure that no-one ever forgets who you belong to again.’

 

Wait, _what_? 

 

Jensen might be a whore but he didn’t belong to Lord Weatherly; if anything, he belonged to Miss Cohen and that was only until he turned twenty one.  Jensen tried to get up then; something really wasn’t right…he…he had to put a stop to this. 

 

‘Stay down, whore,’ the Lord hissed; the touch that had been loving turned cruel as the man’s hand pressed down into the centre of his back, pinning him over the Lord’s lap.  No matter how much he struggled, Jensen couldn’t get any leverage to push up; he couldn’t even get his damn feet to touch the ground, not perched over the man’s lap like he was.  ‘Right, Paul, can you get that ready for me please.’  Jensen felt something cool wipe over his shoulder and he tried to pull away again; what the _hell_ was going on?  ‘Thank you, you can leave now; I’ll call you when it’s done.’           

 

_When what was done?_

 

Jensen didn’t have long to wonder, though, because not a moment later, something burning hot was pressed against the skin of his shoulder.  He cried out, squirming in Lord Weatherly’s lap…trying to get away from the searing pain.  Immediately, something rough covered his mouth and nose, something sweet smelling that made his head spin; Jensen tried to turn away, tried to _breathe_ , but Lord Weatherly’s hand just followed him. 

 

Long, painful minutes passed and Jensen’s eyes grew heavy, his limbs stopped obeying his commands and sagged lifeless at his sides.  Barely conscious, Jensen only just caught the ‘Perfect’ whispered above him before he slipped into darkness. 

 

****

 

When Jensen woke up again, he was lying on his stomach with his arms stretched out in front of him.  His head felt heavy where it was pressed into his pillow and he had to blink several times to clear his vision.

 

When he could finally see, though, Jensen almost wished that he could go back to sleep; his wrists were tied to the frame of his bed, and the dull, scratching pain he felt around his ankles told him that his legs were similarly bound.  He was splayed out like a pinned butterfly on a board…exposed; trapped; vulnerable.  

 

Panic coursed through Jensen’s veins, burning away the last remnants of the drug from his system and leaving him wide awake and alert.  He needed to get free, _right_ now…

 

The moment he pulled at the bounds, though, searing pain shot down his arm and back, so intense that he almost passed out again.  Body shaking, Jensen craned his neck round to look at his shoulder; he promptly tore his face away again the moment he caught sight of the angry red and black ‘W’ marring his skin.  It was…it was a brand.  Lord Weatherly’s _fucking_ initial burned into his skin…forever. 

 

Jensen resumed his struggles, ignoring the pain slicing through his skin; he needed to get away, he needed…‘Calm down, Jenny; you’re not going anywhere.  Now that I’ve taken care of that little problem, we need to deal with your punishment.’

 

 _Punishment?_   Burning his flesh hadn’t been punishment enough? 

 

Jensen was still reeling from the sight of the brand on his shoulder when the first strike fell across his back; he couldn’t swallow down the pained cry that escaped him as the man’s belt buckle dug deeply into his skin.  By the forth strike, Jensen could feel blood trickling down his sides onto the bed sheets.  Tears blurred his vision, falling thick and fast down his cheeks; he couldn’t breathe, he couldn’t _think…_ he felt like he was dying. 

 

And for the first time in his life, Jensen prayed for Death to take him.

 

NEXT.

 


	8. Chapter Eight.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Another pathetically short chapter – I know how irritating that is. :-S I promise to try and get the next bit up today.

** Chapter Eight. **

 

Jared pulled the lapels of his jacket up higher around his neck; half against the cold, half to obscure his face.  He knew he shouldn’t be back here; if anyone saw him, he’d be ruined…he’d lose _everything_. 

 

But none of that mattered because Jared had made a promise; he’d made a promise to a sad, beautiful boy and come Hell or high water, Jared was going to keep it.

 

Before the brothel door had even closed behind him, Jared’s eyes were searching the room for Jensen.  He frowned when he realised the boy wasn’t there…that left only one place for Jensen to be.  His eyes drifted to the stairs leading to the rooms upstairs and his jaw tightened; someone was with Jensen, someone who wasn’t him. 

 

Jared knew it was crazy to be so caught up in someone he barely knew, but, honestly, he couldn’t help it; there was just something about the boy that called to him.  He’d never felt like this about anyone, never had such an overwhelming urge to protect and care for another human being in his life. 

 

‘Back again, Lord Winchester?’  Jared startled at the words and turned to find the formidable Miss Cohen standing next to him. 

 

‘It appears so,’ he replied curtly, his tone barely civil.  If there was someone to blame for Jensen’s defilement, it was the tiny woman standing next to him, and Jared would never forget that.  Nor forgive it.  ‘Is Jensen here?’ he asked mildly, aiming for nonchalance despite his eagerness to see the boy; he didn’t particularly want to alert the Madam to the depth of his feelings for Jensen, especially not when his bank account was still reeling from the hit it had taken last week.

 

‘He’s unavailable tonight, Sir.  Maybe I could find someone else for you; Sandy is one of my most popular girls,’ the woman nodded towards one of the girls behind the bar.  When Jared didn’t even turn his head to look, Miss Cohen added, ‘Or Katie, she’s very experienced and…’

 

‘No,’ Jared cut her off, his voice pitched low, barely more than a growl.  ‘I only want to see Jensen.’

 

The Madam’s eyes narrowed, ‘Well, as I’ve already told you, Lord Winchester, Jensen is unavailable for the night.’  She took his arm and led him to a chair, ‘Why not have a drink and see if my girls can’t change your mind?’  With that, she pushed him down into the chair and a moment later, a glass of neat whisky was set on the table in front of him. 

 

Jared didn’t want the drink, but he downed the liquor anyway in the hope that it would calm the bitter jealousy churning in his gut.  It didn’t. 

 

As he looked around the room, his eyes fell on a familiar face, Danneel, and he subtly nodded to the girl.  She brought him over another glass of whisky, but instead of placing it on the table like a normal serving girl would, she pressed the glass into his hand and leaned in close, ‘He’s not in with anyone.’  Jared frowned in confusion, ‘Jensen.  He’s not in with anyone.  Lord Weatherly came to see him last night after you left and…’ Jared heard her swallow, ‘he’s hurt.  It must be bad; Miss Cohen never lets us have a night off unless it’s really serious and…and we could all hear him.’ 

 

Jared could hear the tears in her voice as she pleaded, ‘Get him away from here; take him away with you.  _Please,_ before it’s too late.’  She pulled away then, shooting a furtive look around the room.  Jared couldn’t fault her for being nervous; he was pretty sure Miss Cohen wouldn’t appreciate Danneel telling him all that, and he was terribly grateful that she’d taken the risk for him…for Jensen.  Before Danneel could walk away, Jared grabbed her hand and squeezed it tightly, hoping she understood what her help meant to him. 

 

He quickly drained his second glass of whisky, placed enough money down on the table to pay for the two drinks, and made his way to the door.  Jensen was hurt and Jared was going to take care of him, whether Miss Cohen liked it or not.

 

NEXT.

 


	9. Chapter Nine.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: This chapter’s a little longer and I hope it’s what you guys have been waiting for! Lol, I had to check when light bulbs became common in households…this is why historical fics are so interesting to write! FYI, they apparently didn’t become common until the 1900s so that’s why Jensen’s room doesn’t have any…God, that was probably really boring but never mind…here’s the chapter…

** Chapter Nine. **

 

Jared finally managed to haul himself up onto the balcony, his arms aching with the exertion; it had been a long time since he’d last scaled a drainpipe, and he’d grown an awful lot since then.  Once he was upright again, Jared quickly made sure that no-one had seen him before he opened the glass door to Jensen’s room and slipped inside. 

 

The room was dark and cold, easily as chilled as the night outside, and Jared couldn’t help but wonder if the lack of a fire was some sort of sick punishment for Jensen’s inability to work that night.  Of course, the boy could’ve simply fallen asleep before he’d had the chance to light it, but from what little Jared knew of the woman downstairs, he had a sinking feeling that that wasn’t the case. 

 

Jared made his way over to the fireplace and took out a box of matches from his pocket; it took a moment for the wood to catch light, but soon the room was filled with a dull amber glow.  Jared then used the newly kindled fire to light the candles dotted around the room until he could see as clearly as he’d been able to the other night.  Although, once he caught sight of Jensen, he almost wanted to snuff all the candles out again. 

 

The boy was lying face down on the bed, his body completely bare and his hands and feet tied to the metal frame.  The image was most definitely something that that would haunt Jared till the end of his days, but it wasn’t what had his stomach rebelling and almost sending his dinner back up.  No, it was the angry lash marks scoring the boy’s back, the raw, blackened skin on his shoulder, the blood staining Jensen’s once white sheets that had Jared shaking with horror.  He leaned in closer, almost gagging at the acrid smell of burnt flesh…

 

Jared quickly covered his mouth in shock when he saw the ornate ‘W’ etched into the boy’s skin.  _Oh my god…_

 

Jensen shivered beneath Jared’s gaze, and it was only then that Jared noticed how flushed Jensen’s skin was under his injuries. 

 

‘Jen?’ Jared whispered as he took a step forwards and laid a hand on the back of the boy’s neck; the skin was blisteringly hot to the touch… _fuck_ , Jensen was burning up.  Jared bent down to take a closer look at the…the _brand_ on Jensen’s shoulder, his jaw clenching almost painfully at the sight of the red, swollen skin.  Jared didn’t have a lot of experience with things like this, but he knew infection when he saw it.  He quickly walked round to the other side of the bed so that he could see Jensen’s face; it was half hidden in his pillow, but, even so, there was no way Jared that could’ve missed the sickly flush on the boy’s cheeks or the sweat beading on his brow. 

 

God, how long had Jensen been like this? 

 

‘Jen?’ Jared said again, reaching out this time to brush his thumb across the boy’s damp cheek.  Jensen’s eyes slowly flickered open, glazed and unfocused as they stared up at Jared.  ‘Hey there, it’s me, it’s Jared.’

 

Jared could’ve sworn he saw a smile tug at Jensen’s lips then.  ‘You…you came back,’ Jensen whispered, his words heavily slurred by the fever, ‘My…angel.’

 

Jared’s heart squeezed painfully in his chest; if anyone deserved an angel, it was Jensen…he just didn’t think he was up to the challenge.  If he had been, then this would never have happened; he wouldn’t have let it. 

 

Jared took a deep breath, now wasn’t the time to think about that; he could beat himself up later but right now, Jensen needed his help, ‘Yeah, I came back and I’m going to take care of you, alright?  It’s going to be okay.’  Jensen nodded sleepily at him, burying his face further into the pillow.  

 

Obviously, the first thing Jared needed to do was untie the boy, so he reached over and undid the knots binding Jensen to the bed.  His jaw clenched as he pulled the rope away to reveal the torn, abraded skin around Jensen’s wrists and ankles.  The boy had clearly fought against the ropes, against his captor, and it hadn’t meant a damn thing because no-one had come to help him; they’d just left him here with that…that _animal_.

 

Jared ran a shaky hand through his hair, trying to calm himself down enough so that he could work out what he needed to do next.  He remembered one of the family maids burning her hand pretty badly when he was a kid; if memory served, the cook had cleaned the wound thoroughly with water from the kitchen before bandaging it up and sending the girl on her way.  Well, that’s where he’d start anyway; once the burn was taken care of, then Jared could try and do something about the boy’s fever and the lash marks on his back. 

 

‘Okay, right…so…water,’ Jared nodded to himself, picking up an empty whisky glass from the bedside table and striding towards the bathroom.  He washed the glass out several times in the small basin before filling it to the brim with cold water.  Now, Jared just needed something to actually clean the burn with.  He looked around the bathroom but the only thing remotely suitable was the small, dirty towel lying on the floor next to the tub.  However, it was obvious that the towel hadn’t been laundered in quite some time, if ever, and there was no way that Jared was putting that anywhere near Jensen’s wound. 

 

Seeing no other option, Jared took off his jacket and placed it over the edge of the tub.  He then proceeded to rip off the sleeve of his shirt; it was nowhere near clean enough for this, but it was certainly better than the dirty rag Jensen apparently used as a towel.

 

Jared rinsed the cotton under the tap, trying to make it as clean as possible, before he grabbed the glass of water and returned to the bedroom.  Jensen was exactly where he’d left him, his arms and legs still splayed across the bed, and it didn’t take a genius to work out why Lord Weatherly had tied the boy down like that.  Jared shook his head in an effort to clear away the violent, disgusting images that bombarded his brain; he needed to focus, and thinking about Lord Weatherly wasn’t going to help that at all…he could beat the bastard bloody _once_ Jensen was better.

 

Jared took a seat on the bed next to Jensen’s branded shoulder.  ‘Jensen, this is probably going to hurt; I’m sorry, but I need to do it, okay,’ he explained quietly as he dipped the cotton into the water.  Jared then placed the cloth gently on the swollen wound; he heard a sharp intake of breath from Jensen, and the boy instantly tried to move away.  But Jared didn’t let him; he placed a tender but restraining hand on Jensen’s unharmed shoulder and held him still.  ‘Shhh, this’ll be over soon then it’ll feel better, I promise.’

 

Jensen didn’t say anything in response, but he didn’t try to pull away again when Jared began to wipe at the dried blood and pus on his shoulder. 

 

By the time Jared had finished, Jensen was shaking with more than just his fever; tiny sobs shook his thin frame and Jared hadn’t even started on his back yet.  Jared placed a gentle hand on Jensen’s neck, rubbing his thumb across the smooth skin, ‘Well done, Jen, you did great.  I just need to clean up your back now.’  Jensen shook his head weakly from side to side, the movement barely there, but Jared understood what he meant - Jensen had had enough.  Jared swallowed painfully, his throat tight as he added, ‘I have to, baby,’ _or you might die_.  And that just was _not_ an option. 

 

Jared stood up to get a clean glass of water from the bathroom; honestly, it was more to give Jensen a few minutes of peace before he started again, than because the water was actually dirty.  When he returned, Jared ripped another piece of cloth from his shirt, sat back down and began to gently drag the cotton across the wounds.  ‘You know, I didn’t even mean to come in here that first night; I was lost and I thought this was an inn.  Then I saw Lord Weatherly hit you and something inside me, I don’t know, it just…snapped and I couldn’t let him have you.  I just wanted to protect you…I _want_ to protect you.’  Jensen flinched when the cloth swept over a particularly deep cut, and Jared stroked a comforting hand through the boy’s hair once before continuing.  ‘I know that’s strange; I hardly even know you, and you definitely don’t know me, but…but something changed for me that night and I just…I’m so sorry I wasn’t here for you this time.  But I promise I’ll get you out of here, Jen, I _promise_.’ 

 

No matter what it took or what it cost him, Jared was going to save Jensen, if it was the last thing he did.

 

NEXT.


	10. Chapter Ten.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: I’m so sorry this is so late…I’ve been working on a spn_kinkmeme fill this week and it got a little away from me. Sorry. Hope this is worth the stupidly long wait! :-S xx

**Chapter Ten.**

 

Jensen woke to the sound of someone knocking on his door.  Loudly.  He blinked his eyes open and groaned in discomfort; his head was pounding and his body ached _everywhere._   God, it felt like he’d been trampled by a stampede...twice. 

 

Jensen swallowed, wincing at his sore throat, and fumbled for the glass of water on his nightstand.  He didn’t remember putting it there; Miss Cohen must’ve done it for him after Lord Weatherly had left.  The kind gesture was completely out of character for the Madam, of course, but Jensen wasn’t going to complain.  And he certainly wasn’t going to complain about the fire he could hear the crackling away in the corner…maybe Miss Cohen had taken pity on him for once? 

 

There was another knock and Jensen made to get up to answer it; his body had barely even left the mattress when blinding pain sliced across his back and forced him back onto the bed, heaving in deep, shuddering breaths as he lay back down.  Jensen looked over his shoulder to try to assess the damage Lord Weatherly had done to him, and almost fell off the bed in surprise.

 

On the other side of the bed was Jared.  Asleep next to him.  Hazy memories from the night before came back to him as Jensen stared at the man in disbelief…Jared cleaning his wounds, stroking his face, placing a cool cloth on his forehead. 

 

‘Open the damn door, Jensen, or I’ll have Mark break it down.’

 

 _Crap._   Ignoring the pain in his back, Jensen turned over and shook Jared roughly, ‘Wake up, Jared, you need to go; they can’t find you here!’

 

‘Wha…?’  Jared looked up at him, still half asleep, and Jensen tried not to get distracted by how good the man looked in the soft light shining through the window.

 

‘You need to leave,’ Jensen hissed, pushing at the older man’s shoulder.  Jared couldn’t be found in here; Miss Cohen would have him arrested for trespassing and Jared would get into trouble and his family would find out that he’d spent the night with a whore and…

 

‘Jensen!’ 

 

That shrill shout seemed to wake Jared up completely and the man sprung up from the bed as if it were on fire; unfortunately, though, he didn’t make his way to balcony like Jensen had hoped, no, Jared just winked at him and jumped into the wardrobe. 

 

Realising that there wasn’t time now to get Jared out of the room before Miss Cohen broke down his door, Jensen forced himself to get up and see what the woman wanted.  Miss Cohen’s angry glare met him on the other side of the wood, and Jensen wanted nothing more than to slam the door back in her face after what she’d let Lord Weatherly do to him.  ‘So you _are_ still alive then?’

 

‘No thanks to you,’ he snapped, instantly regretting it when her hand landed on his cheek with a painful slap. 

 

‘Don’t you back talk to me, boy; remember who keeps a roof over your sorry ass, remember who keeps you _fed_.’  Jensen bit back the multitude of unkind things he could say about her ‘hospitality’; he needed her gone as soon as possible so he could get rid of Jared before anyone found out that the older man was there - mouthing off at her certainly wasn’t going to help with that.  ‘You lit the fire?’  She levelled him with a look that bordered on wrathful, ‘Who said you could light the fire?’

 

‘I don’t…I didn’t…’ _shit, shit, shit_ , ‘Lord Weatherly…he must’ve lit it to heat up the irons.’  Jensen felt bile rise in his throat at the thought of the brand on his shoulder, the mark he’d wear for the rest of his goddamn life.  He just about managed to swallow it back down before he added, ‘I fell asleep after…after he left.  I’ll put it out now.’ 

 

He turned to walk towards the hearth, ignoring the pounding in his head and the fire that was already eating its way across his back.  Before he’d taken more than two steps, though, Miss Cohen grabbed his arm roughly and pulled him back.  He wobbled slightly, fighting the urge to pass out as she twisted his throbbing shoulder to get a look at the brand, ‘Huh, it’s bigger than I thought it would be; should’ve charged him more.’

 

 _Or maybe you shouldn’t have let him fucking burn it into my shoulder at all_.  Jensen only just about kept the angry words from spilling out of his mouth; they were dangerous and he’d already given Miss Cohen enough back chat for today.  ‘Is there anything else I can do for you, Miss Cohen?’  He asked, trying not to squirm as her nails dug into the sensitive skin around the brand.  He was already starting to feel lightheaded and he needed to get Jared out of there before he passed out again.       

      

‘I’m just here to tell you that Lord Weatherly wanted to see you again tonight.’  Jensen felt all the blood run from his face; he really couldn’t handle another session with the Lord so soon after the last one…physically or mentally.  ‘But I told him that you were still recovering and booked an appointment for tomorrow evening instead.  Make sure you’re better by then.’  With that, the Madam turned and disappeared down the corridor.

 

Jensen closed the door behind her in disbelief; had Miss Cohen really just implied that this was his fault? 

 

A wave of nausea washed over him then and he had to grab the door knob to keep from falling; he closed his eyes and took deep breaths until he felt steady enough to let go again.  His back felt raw, _flayed_ , and the burn on his shoulder…well, Jensen could hardly even bring himself to think about that.

 

‘Jensen.’ 

 

Jensen startled at the deep voice and let his forehead fall against the cool wood. ‘You need to go, Jared, you can’t be found here,’ he said quietly, suddenly feeling so very, very tired. 

 

He felt Jared step up behind him, the man close enough that his breath ghosted across Jensen’s neck, ‘I am going now.’  Jensen’s stomach dropped in disappointment even though he’d told Jared to go, even though it was for the best, because a part of him, a _very_ large part of him, wanted to beg Jared to stay…wanted everything Jared had said to him last night to be true.  ‘And you’re coming with me.’

 

Jensen blinked in surprise because he couldn’t possibly have heard that right, ‘What?’

 

‘I’m leaving and you’re coming with me,’ Jared repeated simply, turning Jensen round so they were facing each other.  Jared’s large hand came up to cup his cheek, and it took everything in Jensen not to lean into the touch because, as truly wonderful as that sounded, he already knew he couldn’t have it.  And it was breaking his heart.  ‘I’m taking you away from here.’

 

Jensen shook his head, ‘I can’t.’  He pulled away, ignoring the hurt look on Jared’s face as he did so, ‘You don’t know anything about me, I…I have responsibilities…I can’t just leave.’

 

‘Why the hell not?  You don’t owe that bitch anything.’   Jared grabbed Jensen’s arm, careful to avoid the burned skin, ‘Look what she let him do to you.’

 

Jensen looked down at Jared’s hand on his arm, ‘I know, but…but I have to stay…my family…’

 

Jared’s eyes widened in horror, ‘Your family?  They’re here too?’

 

Jensen bit his lip; he really didn’t want to tell Jared about the contract, about his family giving him away.  If even his own mother and father thought he was all but worthless, why would anyone else think differently?  But looking up into Jared’s worried gaze, Jensen knew that he had to; otherwise, he was sure the man would tear through the brothel looking for brothers and sisters who weren’t there, ‘Miss Cohen...my family owed her money they didn’t have so they…made a deal.’

 

Jared frowned for a moment before realisation filled his eyes.  ‘Your family _sold_ you to a whore house?’ he asked in disbelief.  ‘For how much?’

 

‘A hundred pounds,’ Jensen answered, a shamed blush heating his cheeks.  ‘But it’s not for forever,’ he added quietly, like somehow that made the whole thing better.

 

Jared’s hand tightened on his arm, ‘How long was it for, Jensen?

 

‘Only until I turn twenty one,’ he replied, his eyes dropping to the floor.

 

Jensen flinched at Jared’s harsh bark of laughter; it was a bitter, angry sound that didn’t suit the man at all, ‘ _Only_ until you turn twenty one.  Right, no time at all then!  And how old were you when they sold you, Jensen?  Fourteen?  Fifteen?’

 

‘Eight,’ Jensen whispered, his eyes filling with tears as the familiar rush of humiliation burned through him the way it always did when he thought about this.  And this was so much worse; having all of his wretched past laid out in front of the only man in years who had treated him like a person and not just a whore. 

 

‘ _Eight_ years old?’  Jared asked, his own voice hushed and his face pale.  Jensen nodded and he felt the first tear run down his cheek.  ‘Oh my god,’ and then Jensen was being pulled into Jared’s embrace, one large hand settling on the back of his head where it rested against the Lord’s chest and the other cradling his hip.  ‘I’m so sorry, Jensen.  I’m so sorry that happened to you.’

 

Jensen stood frozen in Jared’s arms; he didn’t know how to react.  No-one had ever apologised for what had happened to him, no-one had ever lamented the loss of his childhood, his innocence.  And it had never felt so good to just be held by anyone before…he never wanted Jared to let him go. 

 

A loud shout followed by the sound of something breaking outside his room brought Jensen crashing back to the present.  Back to reality and back to his life.  And as much as he wanted Jared to be a part of that life, he knew the man couldn’t ever be; not just because Jensen was bound to Miss Cohen until he turned 21, but because he and Jared came from two completely different worlds.  They’d never be able to be together; even if Jared waited three years for Jensen to be freed, Jensen would still have nothing to offer him. 

 

With that sobering thought, Jensen pulled away, wiping his eyes on the back of his hands, ‘You really need to go.  Miss Cohen won’t be happy if she finds you up here.’

 

Jared snorted, ‘Believe me, Jensen, Miss Cohen doesn’t scare me.’

 

Jensen looked up at Jared then, his eyes serious, ‘She _should._   She knows a lot of powerful people, Jared, and you don’t want any of them to know you were here.  Know _why_ you were here.  She’ll ruin everything for you if you get in her way.’

 

‘I don’t care,’ Jared said forcefully, stepping towards Jensen again. 

 

But Jensen moved back, staying out of range, ‘You should.  If you were thinking clearly, you _would_ care.  You could lose everything.  And for what?  Some cheap whore you’ve known for less than two weeks?’  Jensen shook his head, ‘That’s crazy.’

 

Jared smiled at him, that warm smile that made Jensen’s insides flutter alarmingly, ‘Well, then call me crazy because this is what I want.’  When the man stepped closer this time, Jensen didn’t, _couldn’t_ , pull away.  ‘ _You’re_ what I want.  I can’t explain it but I’ve never felt this way about anyone before.  And it scares the hell out of me, but not because of Miss Cohen and certainly not because of what my family might think, but because you might say no.  Because you might ask me to leave and never come back and I would; I’d do anything you asked of me, Jen.  But…’ Jared took a deep breath, ‘but I hope you don’t because…because I think I’ve fallen in love with you.’  And before Jensen could protest or refute the claim, Jared leaned down and kissed him.

 

Jensen didn’t know what to say, didn’t know what to think; how was it possible that this wonderful, perfect man wanted him?  How could Jared see past everything?  See past all the damaged, broken parts of Jensen and see anything worth loving?  ‘You love me?’  Jensen whispered as soon as Jared pulled away, his voice shaking.

 

Jared smiled, cupping Jensen’s face in his hands, ‘I do.’  The older man pressed a kiss to Jensen’s forehead; a sweet, protective gesture that made Jensen’s heart skip a beat in his chest.  ‘And I meant what I said; I’m going to take you away from here.’  Jensen shook his head, ready to argue again; his family…he couldn’t leave until their debt was paid, but Jared just held up his hand, ‘I’ll buy your contract from Miss Cohen; I’ll pay off your family’s debt.  Trust me, she’ll be more than happy with the offer I’m going to make her, and then she’ll have no reason to go after your family.’

 

Jensen stared up at Jared in shock, ‘I…I…’ _don’t know what to say; I don’t know how to thank you._

 

‘I love you too.’  It was all Jensen could come up with, and he hoped that Jared understood what it meant for him to say those words.  Jensen hadn’t loved anyone in a long time and trusting Jared wasn’t something that came easily to him, not after the life he’d led. 

 

Jared’s thumb stroked tenderly across his cheek.  ‘I know,’ he said before leaning in to steal another kiss.  ‘Right, I need to go and get the money together for Miss Cohen but I’ll be back tonight.  Did I hear rightly? Lord Weatherly’s not coming here again until tomorrow?’  Jensen nodded.  ‘Okay, I’ll have you well away from this place before then.’  

With that, Jared turned on his heel and made his way over to the balcony; the man was almost at the door when, much to Jensen’s surprise, he suddenly whirled around and marched right back over to him. The man took hold of Jensen’s hand and slid a very expensive-looking silver ring onto his finger before Jensen could stop him. ‘I want you to take this, Jensen.’ Jensen immediately opened his mouth to protest but Jared just placed a finger against his lips to silence him. ‘It’s a gift, from me to you, to show you how much you mean to me. You’ve given me so much; I want to give you something too.’ Jensen stared up at the man in disbelief. Jared had given him enough already; he’d given Jensen his life back, given him a future he’d never dared to dream of…Jared had given him _everything_. He didn’t get the chance to say any of that though because Jared was already striding back across the room. Jensen had to curl his hands into fists, relishing the way Jared’s ring dug into his palm, to keep from reaching out and pulling the man back to him. He watched Jared walk over to the balcony and, with one last look at Jensen and a whispered, ‘I’ll be back for you, I promise,’ Jared opened the door and disappeared into the night. 

 

Jensen sat down on his bed and thought over what had just happened…in a few short hours he’d be free.  He’d be free and with Jared, and he’d finally get his happily ever after.  In that moment, Jensen truly believed the last ten years of pain had been worth it since they’d brought him to Jared. 

 

Smiling, Jensen got up and began to pack his meagre things; it would be hours before Jared came back for him but Jensen wanted to be ready, wanted to see his packed bag on the bed and _know_ that Jared was coming for him.  His back and shoulder throbbed as he moved around the room, but Jensen just breathed through the pain and thought… _soon_.

 

NEXT.


	11. Chapter Eleven.

 

**Chapter Eleven.**

 

Jared was knee deep in paperwork, rifling through his accounts and bank statements, when his mother walked into his study.   He didn’t even look up as she began wittering on about lunch dates and tea parties and all manner of things he had no interest in discussing.  Especially not right then, when time was of the essence. 

 

‘Jared!’

 

‘What?!’ he all but yelled in frustration; his mother looked somewhat less than impressed with his tone, but Jared couldn’t bring himself give a rat’s ass about that.  He needed to work out how much money he could drum up in the next few hours to buy Jensen’s contract; he was sure that Miss Cohen would only accept cash for the boy, and Jared didn’t have nearly enough at the house to satisfy such a money hungry bitch.  The problem was, not all of Jared’s money was kept in the same place and only a fraction of it was still in London – he needed to make sure that he had enough in his account before he set off for the bank to extract it.  Otherwise, he’d have to resort to calling in a few favours, and all of that took time.  Time Jared just didn’t have. 

 

So, all in all, dealing with his mother wasn’t exactly high on his list of priorities right then.

 

‘I was just going to ask what on earth you think you’re doing?  Miss Cortese has been waiting downstairs for you for almost an hour.’  His mother’s tone was curt and disapproving but that wasn’t anything new.  Jared was well used to her disappointment by now – three years she’d been trying to get him to marry, and he’d never shown the slightest interest in any of the girls the woman had thrown his way.  No-one had ever meant anything more than a quick romp between the sheets to Jared…until Jensen, and now the boy was all he could think about. 

 

‘I really don’t have time to see Miss Cortese today, mother,’ Jared said as he searched for the provisional contract he’d already drawn up for the transaction.  He really needed Chad, his solicitor, to look it over before he made his offer; the contract had to be airtight to ensure Miss Cohen never bothered Jensen or his family ever again. 

 

‘You should _make_ time, Jared.  Miss Cortese is such a sweet girl; she’s perfect for you, and you’re going to lose her if you carry on like this.’

 

‘I guess that’s just a risk I’m going to have to take then,’ Jared replied absently as he placed the contract on his desk and began to read it over one last time, pausing every now and then to correct anything that looked awry.

 

‘No, you’re not!  I won’t allow it!’ Jared almost put his pen through the paper at the sound of his mother’s angry shout; as it was, he left a rather large ink blot right in the centre.  Jared stared at his mother in shock; he’d never once heard the woman raise her voice before.  Had he not been so stunned by her outburst, he was sure he would’ve been angry about the stain. 

 

Before Jared could say anything to placate her, his mother continued, thankfully using her typical, quieter tone of voice once more, ‘You need a wife, Jared; you’re more than old enough to be married by now and it’s starting to look strange that you don’t have one.  People are beginning to talk, and I don’t like what they’re saying about you…about us.’

 

‘And what are they saying, mother?’  Jared laid his pen down and fixed his mother with a cool glare of his own; he was perfectly aware of where this conversation was going and what people might be saying about him.  He’d never made his sexual preferences public, but Jared was by no means a virgin and he’d had lovers of both sexes over the years; it was entirely possible that someone might have seen him with a young man or two, despite his discretion. 

 

‘That…that you’re a…that you aren’t looking to take a _wife_ at all,’ his mother answered pointedly. 

 

And Jared had finally had enough; enough of the constant nagging, enough of the endless parade of desperate young ladies, enough of all his mother’s damn expectations and judgements.  If the woman couldn’t love him for who he was, then maybe it was time he moved on.  ‘Well, as it happens, for once your gossiping friends are absolutely right.  I’m _not_ looking to take a wife and I never will be because, mother, I’ve already found the person I’m going to spend the rest of my life with,’ a smile lit up his mother’s face for just a moment before he added, ‘and _his_ name is Jensen.’

 

The woman’s rouged lips instantly dropped open in shock and she whispered in a horrified voice, ‘You don’t…you can’t _possibly_ mean that, Jared.’

 

‘I do,’ Jared answered simply, pressing his seal to the back of his letter for Chad and ringing the bell for one of the servants.  Chad didn’t live too far away; if the servant left now, his friend should get the message within the hour and should easily make it to the brothel in time to meet Jared there.   In the meantime, Jared would visit the bank and make sure he had the funds he needed. 

 

‘But…but what will people _say_?’ his mother asked, her voice a troubling mix of disbelief, panic and fear and, in that moment, Jared felt truly sorry for her.  Sorry that she really thought the idle gossip of some small minded people was more important than her son’s happiness…more important than love.

 

‘I don’t know, mother, and I don’t care.’  He handed the letter to the servant that entered his study.  ‘Look, I want you to be happy about this; I want you to meet Jensen but if you can’t, then I understand.  But you should know that I’m not giving him up, not ever, so if you change your mind, we’ll be at The Lakewood Estate.’  Grabbing everything he needed for the bank, Jared leaned down and kissed the woman’s cheek, ‘Goodbye, mother.’ 

 

And with that, he left his childhood home, hoping it wouldn’t be the last time he’d be welcome within its walls.

NEXT.


	12. Chapter Twelve.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Sorry this update took so long; I just have hardly time at the moment to do any writing. I’m beta-ing this week which always takes me freaking ages and RL just doesn’t seem to understand my writing needs! Plus, I’ve got a couple of anon fills going on spnkink_meme which I’m enjoying but are taking up some time as well. Sorry, sorry, sorry.

**Chapter Twelve.**

 

**Jensen.**

 

Jensen tore round the room throwing everything he owned into his small bag; it wasn’t much but it was his.  He threw the green robe onto the fire, taking great pleasure in watching the hideous thing burn.  

 

‘And I’d always thought that looked so good on you.  Well, no matter, I’ll just have to buy you a new one.’  Jensen spun round to find Lord Weatherly standing in the doorway to his room.  Miss Cohen was by his side, a cruel smirk twisting her pretty face, and Jensen insides instantly turned to ice at the sight of it. 

 

‘No, you can keep your robes and your gifts and all your _filthy_ money.  You will _never_ lay a hand on me again, either of you; Jared’s coming back here tonight to buy out my contract and…and we’re going to leave and I’m never going to have to see the two of you ever again.’

 

‘Oh no, really?’  Miss Cohen replied, her voice dripping with a false innocence that immediately had Jensen on edge.  ‘If only I’d known that earlier, I would never have done it.’

 

Jensen took a step back, dread settling like a dead weight in his stomach, ‘Done what?’

 

‘Sold your contract to Lord Weatherly, of course.’  Jensen’s mouth fell open.  _No._   ‘You know, you really should be grateful, Jensen; Lord Weatherly’s assured me that he’s going to take _very_ good care of you.’

 

Jensen shook his head, backing up until his body hit the wall behind him, ‘You can’t…you can’t _do_ this; I didn’t agree to this, you have no _right.’_

 

‘Oh, sweetheart, it’s just so cute that you think your opinion actually matters.  The Madam strode across the room and grabbed his chin, ‘You’re nothing, Jensen, _less_ than nothing.  Your parents sold you to me, I _own_ you.’  She smirked, ‘Or, I did.’

 

‘And now you’re mine,’ Lord Weatherly added as he walked into the room, flanked by two of Miss Cohen’s goons.

 

‘No!  I’m not going with you!’  Jensen shoved Miss Cohen away and made a run for the balcony; he’d barely even gotten halfway there before he was tackled to the floor.  He struggled against the weight on his back, clawing at the floorboards in an effort to get away.  ‘No! Get off me! You can’t do this!’

 

‘It’s already done,’ Miss Cohen whispered cruelly in his ear.  ‘Sweet dreams, darling.’  Jensen turned terrified eyes on his former mistress as one of the goons shoved something over his mouth and nose; he stared desperately at her, _begging_ for help, until the darkness finally took him.   

 

****

 

**Jared.**

 

‘Chad!’ Jared called as he watched his friend step out of a hired carriage in front of the brothel.  He ran over and pulled the man into a hug; it had been far too long since he’d seen his friend. He just wished their reunion had been under better circumstances.  ‘Thank you for coming on such short notice.  Here’s the contract I drew up for Jensen.’  He handed the sheets over to Chad to look over.

 

It wasn’t long before the man nodded, clearly satisfied with Jared’s work, and handed the contract back.  ‘That should be fine; I can’t see a way Miss Cohen’ll be able to get around those terms.  Now, come on, let’s go get your boy and _then_ we can discuss what you owe me for being such an awesome friend.’  Jared rolled his eyes and led the way into the brothel.

 

The place looked just the same as it had the first night Jared had mistakenly wandered in there; that felt vaguely wrong to him considering how much had changed since then, how much _Jared_ had changed.  He strode over to the girl at the bar, smiling as he asked, ‘Good evening, could I speak to Miss Cohen please?’  The girl nodded and took off in the direction of the Madam’s office.   

 

Not a minute later, the woman in question walked out into the room and Jared signalled for her to join him.  He began as soon as she sat down, ‘Miss Cohen, I’ve come to buy Jensen’s contract from you.’  He handed the new contract over, along with the money he’d procured from the bank.  ‘There’s a thousand pounds there; that should be more than enough to settle Jensen’s family’s debt.  All you need to do is sign these papers and I’ll take Jensen off your hands.’

 

A sad frown graced the woman’s painted features as she shook her head and immediately placed the money and the contract back in his hands, ‘I’m terribly sorry, Lord Winchester, but Jensen’s gone.  He ran away in the middle of night and I have no idea where he went.’

 

Jared stared at her in stunned disbelief, ‘No, that can’t be true.  He _knew_ I was coming back for him.  I _told_ him.’  His eyes narrowed in suspicion, ‘Don’t lie to me, Miss Cohen, I’ll tear this place apart if I have to.’  He reached out to grab her arm, ‘Now _tell_ me where he is.’

 

The woman tried to pull away, but Jared just tightened his grip; he wasn’t losing Jensen; not when he was this close, not after everything.  ‘I told you, I don’t know.  Believe me, Lord Winchester, if Jensen _were_ still here, he’d be working.  You can go and check his room if you must, but I can assure you that he’s not there.’  She looked pointedly down at his hand and added, ‘Now, if you’d kindly unhand me, I’d be more than happy to show you myself.’

 

Jared reluctantly let go, his mind in turmoil; he didn’t understand how this had all gone so dreadfully wrong.  Miss Cohen was right; if Jensen were still in the brothel, he’d either be down here in the bar working or upstairs in his room.  And he clearly wasn’t in the bar, and if…if he wasn’t in his room like Miss Cohen claimed, then maybe he really had run away.  Maybe he hadn’t wanted to be with Jared after all…

 

Jared shook his head, clearing it of those dark thoughts; either way, he had to know for sure, and that meant checking the boy’s room himself.  He cleared his throat, ‘I’d like to check his room, please.’

 

‘As you wish, Sir,’ the Madam nodded and turned to lead the way up to Jensen’s room.

 

NEXT.


	13. Chapter Thirteen.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N – IMPORTANT AUTHOR’S NOTE – Um, I’ve made a slight change to chapter ten - basically because I’m an idiot! I wrote the later chapters before I wrote that one and something has to happen in chapter ten for something else to happen in this chapter! I’m so so so sorry; it’s not a big change – basically, Jared just gives Jensen his signet ring at the end of the chapter before he leaves. It’s all schmoopy and cheesy and really not all that good so you don’t have to go and read the slight change I made at the end of the chapter. Really not worth it. 
> 
>  
> 
> I’m just letting you guys know so you’re not all really confused in this chapter. Sorry, I think I’ve told you all many, many times that I’m an idiot…
> 
>  
> 
> Also, I’m hoping to get another couple of chapters out over the next few days because I’m not back to work till Friday! Yay! And, I’ve finally gotten this all written now (I was having a little trouble rounding it off but I had a spark of inspiration at work the other day and got it written and hopefully it’s not too awful!) Anyway, enough rambling; here’s the next chapter and I promise more soon. Over and out! xx

** Chapter Thirteen.  **

 

A quick scan of the small room was more than enough to tell Jared that Jensen wasn’t there; the fire wasn’t lit and the candles were all extinguished, leaving the room in near darkness. ‘I told you, sir, he’s not here.’

 

‘Thank you, Miss Cohen, I’ll call you if I need anything,’ Jared said curtly in response, effectively dismissing the Madam from his presence. Fortunately, the woman seemed to understand that Jared was in no mood to be trifled with and quickly left the room without further argument.

 

‘What’s going on, Jay? Where is he?’ Chad asked as soon as the door closed behind Miss Cohen; he sounded about as confused as Jared felt. 

 

‘I don’t know. ..I _told_ him to wait. I thought he wanted…’ Jared trailed off as he stepped further into the room. He quickly lit the candles mounted on the walls and gave the room another once over, his stomach dropping further as his eyes confirmed what his mind already suspected. Everything that Jared had assumed belonged Jensen’s was gone - the two books on the dressing table, the soft blanket that covered the end of the bed, the shirts and pants hanging in the wardrobe - and while it hadn’t been much, every item was conspicuous in its absence.

 

It looked like Jensen really _had_ run away and Jared didn’t have a cat in hell’s chance of finding him now. Not that Jensen seemed all that interested in being found. 

 

Sighing bitterly, Jared sat down on the bed; he couldn’t believe it, couldn’t believe he’d been taken in by the boy so easily. What else had been a lie? Had Jensen’s family really sold him? Had the boy really been working here since the age of eight or had Jensen simply made all that up to pull at Jared’s heartstrings…or, more accurately, his purse strings. Jared couldn’t help but wonder how many other men Jensen had told his sob story to, how many others he’d conned out of expensive trinkets? Hell, for all Jared knew, Jensen had consented to Lord Weatherly’s rough treatment of him, had maybe even gotten paid extra for it, and then used the wounds to gain Jared’s sympathy afterwards. Maybe he’d just pretended to be sick when Jared had found him…maybe…urghh…maybe _none_ of it had been real!

 

But it had worked. Jared had fallen for the Jensen’s story, hook, line and sinker, and had given the boy a priceless family heirloom. And the worst of it was that Jared couldn’t even bring to blame Jensen for that, for the kid wanting to get out and make a better life for himself than this, but he _could_ blame the boy for pretending to have feelings for him. He could _hate_ Jensen for that, because Jared would’ve helped him regardless; Jensen didn’t need to make Jared fall in love with him to get his help. 

 

Steeling his battered heart, Jared stood up and strode towards the door, eager to get out of that hellhole as quickly as possible. However, before he’d gone more than two steps, he tripped over something on the floor and almost turned his ankle. Frowning, Jared stopped and picked the offending object up…it was his signet ring, the ring he’d given Jensen. What on earth was it doing on the floor? Why hadn’t Jensen taken it with him? Hadn’t that been the whole point of all this? 

 

More than a little confused by the unexpected reappearance of his ring, Jared pocketed the silver band and dropped to his knees to get a closer look at the place where it had been lying. His eyes narrowed and his jaw clenched when he noticed several long, faint gouges marring the wood like…like someone had dragged their fingernails across it. As he leaned closer, Jared saw something else too, something dark and wet-looking, and before he could stop himself, he reached out to touch it. He let out a harsh curse when his fingers came back stained red…stained with blood. 

 

Jensen’s blood. 

 

‘Fuck!’ Chad hissed as he knelt down next to Jared, his eyes locked on the smear of blood as well. ‘What the hell is that?’ 

 

‘I don’t think Jensen ran, Chad; I think he was taken. Miss Cohen must’ve found out about this somehow, found out that I planned to take Jensen away. It can’t be a coincidence that she chose tonight to get rid of him, not after all these years…it just can’t be.’ Jared’s gaze flickered to the bed, to the place where Jensen had been whipped to within an inch of his life and branded like an animal. His hands balled into fists at his sides, ‘But at least I have a pretty good idea who she’s given him to.’ He stood up, wiping his bloody hand on his pants, ‘You still got your carriage outside?’ Chad nodded. ‘Good, ‘cause we’re going to need it.’ And with that, Jared walked out of Jensen’s room and down the long wooden staircase to the bar.

 

‘For what?’ Chad asked once they'd made it outside.

 

Jared came to a stop next to the carriage, his mouth set in determined line as he answered, ‘To go find Jensen and bring him home.’ 

 

NEXT.


	14. Chapter Fourteen.

** Chapter Fourteen.  **

 

Jensen pulled the soft sheets more tightly around him and buried his face in his pillow as he desperately clung to the last vestiges of sleep. It was no use, though; consciousness tugged relentlessly at his tired mind, inching him closer and closer to wakefulness, even as he fought against it. Reality slowly filtered back in, and Jensen finally twigged that the pillow he was clutching in his arms wasn’t _his_ pillow at all, and the bed he was lying on wasn’t his either. The memory of the night before slammed into him - Lord Weatherly, the kidnap, the drugs - and his eyes sprang open. He struggled to sit up, ignoring the protests of his bruised body, so he could get a good look around the room and maybe try to figure out where the hell he was. 

 

It was sparsely decorated with just the bed he was lying on, a dresser on the other side of the room and a wardrobe against the wall. Jensen couldn’t help the shiver of unease that ran down his spine as he realised how eerily similar this room was to the one he’d had at the brothel. It was almost as if Lord Weatherly had used Jensen’s room as a model…but to what end? To ensure that Jensen understood his place, his role, in the Lord’s household? If that was indeed the reason, then the man needn’t have bothered; Jensen was under no illusions as to why he’d been brought here. 

 

He moved to the edge of the bed, more than a little surprised that he was still wearing the clothes he’d been dressed in the night before. Surprised and grateful. He was just about to stand up when his eyes caught on something lying across the end of the bed, something that turned his stomach. Jensen swallowed down the bile that rose to his throat and immediately looked away from the stretch of green silk; if the near identical room hadn’t been enough to hammer home his new ‘position’, the robe definitely would’ve done it. 

 

Shoving down the panic that was quickly rising ( _trapped, trapped, trapped_ ) and threatening to overwhelm him, Jensen pushed up from the bed and dashed over to the door. With Lord Weatherly gone, he knew this was likely going to be his only chance to escape. He pulled frantically at the door knob a couple of times before he realised how fruitless, not to mention stupid, an endeavour it was. Of _course_ , Lord Weatherly had locked him in. 

 

Well aware of his distinct lack of options, Jensen did the only thing he could think of; he backed up a little and threw himself bodily against the door. He slammed his good shoulder into the solid wood again and again, but the door didn’t budge, not even an inch, and when Jensen finally stood back, the wood was still depressingly intact.

 

His earlier panic came back in full force then, clawing and tearing at him like a physical being and leaving him close to collapse…

 

He couldn’t get out, couldn’t escape, couldn’t get away…and no-one but Miss Cohen knew where he was.

 

He grabbed at the wall next to him in an effort to stay upright when his disjointed, terrified thoughts suddenly shifted to Jared.

 

Jared who had probably gone to the brothel and found Jensen’s room empty, and thought…thought what? What had Miss Cohen told the older man? That Jensen had run off? That he’d died of his injuries? That his family had finally come for him? 

 

And had Jared believed her? 

 

Maybe…

 

_Probably._

 

Miss Cohen could be very convincing when she wanted to be; lying was second nature to her and she’d spent years perfecting the art. Yes, Jared probably hadn’t suspected a thing…had probably believed whatever wild story she’d come up with to explain Jensen’s disappearance. Not that Jared would’ve needed all that much convincing, Jensen was sure. The man must’ve realised by now how much easier his life would be without Jensen in it. Fuck, he’d probably been _relieved_ to find out that Jensen was gone and that he was off the hook.

 

Jensen stumbled back to the bed, wiping away the tear that ran down his cheek as he all but collapsed down onto the mattress; Jared might not need Jensen in his life but Jensen needed him. 

 

With tear filled eyes, he looked down at the ring Jared had given him, but it wasn’t on his finger. Jensen let out a startled gasp, jumped off the bed and began rummaging through the sheets to see if it had fallen off whilst he’d been asleep. When he didn’t find it, Jensen dropped to his knees to look under the bed and check the floor surrounding it. 

 

‘Well, that’s a nice sight to be greeted with.’ Jensen spun round, still on his knees, to see Lord Weatherly closing the previously locked door behind himself. 

 

Jensen was on his feet in an instant, grabbing at the lapels of the man’s suit and demanding, ‘Where is it? What did you do with it? It’s mine! Give it back!’

 

Lord Weatherly’s eyes were wide and shocked as he shoved Jensen away from him. The gesture only served to fuel the anger already burning hot in Jensen’s gut and he immediately launched himself forwards again, eager to harm the smug bastard in front of him in any way that he could. Before he could get his hands on the man, however, Lord Weatherly reached out and dug his fingers into the damaged skin of Jensen’s shoulder. Twisting and tearing at the near open wound. Jensen’s world tilted dangerously, his stomach churning and his legs almost giving way, at the pain; he could barely even hear the man’s words over the thunderous pounding of blood in his ears. ‘Calm the hell down. _Right._ Now.’ 

 

The order was completely redundant; Jensen had stopped struggling the instant Lord Weatherly had touched the brand on his shoulder. Even so, the man didn’t let go, didn’t loosen his brutal grip as he continued, ‘Good, that’s better. Now, if you’re looking for your things, I threw them out,’ Jensen’s eyes widened in horror in spite of the pain…Jared’s ring. ‘Those mangy rags weren’t fit to clean a toilet, let alone cloth my boy.’

 

With the intense pain flooding through his body, Jensen’s mind took a moment to realise that Lord Weatherly hadn’t mentioned the ring. And surely he would’ve if he’d taken it? If nothing else, the Lord would’ve been angry about Jensen wearing another man’s ring. 

 

So where was it? 

 

Was it lost? Had Miss Cohen taken it? Jensen’s heart clenched painfully in his chest; that thought hurt more than his burned shoulder and flayed back combined. Hadn’t it been enough that that woman had taken his childhood, his innocence, now she had to take the one thing Jensen truly cared about as well? The one thing that proved he’d mattered to someone, even if it had only been for a short while? 

 

Another tear rolled unbidden down his cheek, and a calloused thumb quickly followed to wipe it away. Jensen let out a noise of disgust and jerked out of reach; he didn’t want Lord Weatherly touching him, no matter how innocent the touch might be. ‘I don’t understand why you’re fighting this, Jenny? Now you won’t have to deal with any of those nasty men touching you. It’ll just be you and me, always.’ Even with his face averted, Jensen could hear the fondness in the man’s voice. Like…like they were lovers; like Jensen had _chosen_ to be here, _chosen_ Lord Weatherly. 

 

Which was so fucking ridiculous, Jensen couldn’t help the bitter laugh that escaped his lips. ‘Well, excuse me from not being overly excited by that concept.’ He turned to face the man then, meeting his eyes defiantly in a way he never would’ve dared to back at the brothel. Back when Miss Cohen still held so much over his head and this man was _paying_ for his time. Because here, Lord Weatherly wasn’t Jensen’s client; here, the man was his kidnapper and jailor and Jensen had no absolutely problem telling him exactly what he really thought of him. ‘Considering you were by _far_ the nastiest of them all.’

 

The blow to his cheek shouldn’t have caught Jensen by surprise - he should’ve expected it really - but it did, and it sent him tumbling to the floor. ‘You ungrateful little bitch, do you have any idea how much I paid for you?’

 

Jensen looked up at the man, his cheek burning from the slap, and forced a smirk onto his face, ‘Too fucking much considering that I’m never going to let you touch me.’ He got to his feet, squaring his shoulders as he added, ‘If you even lay a finger on me, I’ll kill you.’

 

The cruel laugh that Lord Weatherly let out in response made Jensen’s blood run cold, ‘Oh, you can try, Sweetheart, but you’ll learn soon enough that I always get what I want.’ He took a step forwards, the smile on his face turning dark, ‘And I really, _really_ don’t like being disobeyed.’

 

A lightning-fast hand closed around Jensen’s throat quicker than he could see, squeezing brutally and cutting off his air. Jensen clawed desperately at the man’s fingers but they just tightened around his neck, feeling perilously close to snapping it. ‘Maybe I should show you just how much I don’t like it right now; what do you think?’

 

Jensen frantically shook his head, trying to blink away the black dots forming at the edges of his vision. He felt the darkness pulling him down and he tried to fight it – the last time he’d passed out in the presence of a pissed off Lord Weatherly, Jensen had ended up being beaten so badly he’d wanted to die. He didn’t see this ending any differently, and he very much wanted to avoid a repeat of that nightmare. Not only because he’d barely even begun to heal after his last lashing, but because this time, there would be no Jared to put him back together once Lord Weatherly was done with him. 

 

But, despite his struggles, it wasn’t long before the world finally tumbled away and took Jensen with it. 

 

NEXT.


	15. Chapter Fifteen.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: I know you guys are probably all really annoyed that this has taken me so long, but RL has been a bit of a bitch lately and I find it seriously difficult to write when I feel crappy. Not that that’s an adequate excuse, it’s just the reason. So sorry about that. Anywho…here’s the next chapter…nearly done now – no doubt you’re all thinking ‘thank fuck for that…’

**Chapter Fifteen.**

 

‘Wait! Lord Winchester, wait!’ 

 

Jared stopped, his foot on the step of the carriage, and looked over his shoulder; his eyes widened in surprise when he saw who’d called him, ‘Danneel? What is it?’

 

‘I want to come with you to get Jensen,’ she answered, a little breathless from running over to him. ‘That’s where you’re going, isn’t it? I heard them drag him off but I couldn’t stop them, and…and I had no way of getting in touch with you.’ She turned to look up at the brothel then, her eyes filled with dread, ‘And I don’t want to stay here alone. She _knows_ that I helped you…that I helped Jensen.’ Jared watched her lick her lips, the action nervous and self-conscious, before she added in a hushed whisper, ‘I understand that I have no right to ask this of you, Lord Winchester, but please take me with you… _please_ don’t leave me here.’

 

The naked desperation in her voice damn near broke Jared’s heart and with a sad smile, he quickly reached out and took her trembling hands in his, ‘Of course, I’ll take you with me, Danneel.’ There was no question about it; for all the kindness she’d shown Jensen, he would do anything that she asked. ‘Come on,’ Jared said, getting down off the step and helping Danneel into the carriage, before he climbed in himself. 

 

Chad was already inside waiting for him, and at the man’s enquiring look, Jared introduced the two of them, ‘Danneel, this is Chad, an old buddy of mine, and Chad, this is Danneel, a friend of Jensen’s.’ 

 

Chad took the girl’s hand and pressed a gentle kiss to it, ‘It’s a pleasure, ma’am.’ 

 

 _Ma’am?_ Jared raised an incredulous eyebrow at his friend; Chad wasn’t _that_ polite to anyone, and he’d certainly never called any woman under the age of fifty ‘ma’am’ before, not within Jared’s hearing anyway. The uncharacteristic use of manners made sense though when Jared noticed the adoring, almost awed, look on the man’s face. He fought back a smug grin as he stared at his best friend. It seemed that someone had finally caught Chad’s eye and, while surprised, Jared couldn’t blame him; Danneel was a stunning woman and in any other circumstances, she would’ve had men lining up to marry her. 

 

It thrilled Jared to no end to see his friend struck so suddenly and unexpectedly by Cupid’s arrow, given the man’s general disdain for the concept of true love and romance of any kind. Yet, despite his amusement, Jared’s heart warmed to see an answering blush on Danneel’s cheeks, happy that Chad’s affections were obviously not unreturned and that perhaps, this was not just his and Jensen’s love story anymore. 

 

He didn’t say anything about it, though, as Chad released Danneel’s hand and settled back in his seat. His friend didn’t need him to play matchmaker; the man was more than capable of wooing Danneel himself. He was already half way there by the looks of things so, instead, Jared steered the conversation back to its original course, ‘And since we’re going to be friends as well, you should probably know that my name isn’t Winchester, it’s Padalecki. But I’d like it if you would call me Jared.’ 

 

Danneel nodded as though she’d expected as much and Jared wondered for a brief moment if Jensen had told the girl his real name. He dismissed the idea almost instantly though; Jensen wouldn’t have done that. The boy had always been far more concerned about Jared’s reputation than Jared himself, so the likelihood that he’d shared his true identity seemed unlikely. It was more probable that Danneel was used to her clients not giving their real names, hiding their lives from her, and that she’d assumed that Jared would be no different. Lost in his musings, Jared almost missed her quiet question, ‘I suppose this means you want to know who _I_ am? How I ended up with Miss Cohen?’ 

 

‘No,’ he said immediately, with a firm shake of his head. It was painfully clear from her hesitant voice, from the shame colouring her words, that she didn’t want to tell her story and Jared wouldn’t dream of asking her to. Some things were just too difficult, too private, to share with a stranger and after hearing about Jensen’s tragic past, Jared understood that better than ever. 

 

Evidently, Danneel hadn’t expected his blunt refusal, had maybe thought that he’d demand to know everything about her now, because her eyes narrowed as she stared at him from across the carriage, surprise and suspicion whirling in their depths. ‘It’s not my business, Danneel,’ he explained with a shrug, ‘and I’m not going to force you to tell me anything you don’t want to share just because I’m doing you a favour. You were there for Jensen when I wasn’t, and I can’t even _begin_ to repay you for that. This,’ he gestured to the carriage, ‘me taking you away from that terrible place, is nothing compared to what you did for him all these years.’

 

‘I didn’t do it fo-ʼ

 

‘I know,’ Jared interrupted, holding up a hand to silence her needless protest; he knew full well that there had been nothing but good intentions behind her actions. She’d been looking out for Jensen long before Jared had come on to the scene, and even if that hadn’t been the case, Jared would’ve known how much she cared about the boy simply from the way she spoke of him. ‘But that doesn’t mean I can’t be grateful for what you did. Besides, I need all the help I can get to take Lord Weatherly down.’ His mouth curved into an evil grin, ‘You think that might be something you’re interested in?’

 

Danneel’s gave him a mischievous smile of her own in response, ‘You bet your ass it is.’

 

****

 

By the time they finally reached Lord Weatherly’s country estate, it was nearly ten o’clock and bleak, inky darkness had enveloped the carriage on all of the sides, leaving its occupants sombre and on edge. 

 

Anxiety thrummed through Jared’s veins and, unwilling to wait a moment longer than necessary, he was out of the carriage before it had even come to a stop. He strode up to the elaborately carved front door of Lord Weatherly’s house, took a deep breath in a vain attempt to steady his racing heart, and knocked twice on the wood. 

 

It wasn’t long before the door opened and a small, weasly-looking man squinted up at Jared from the threshold of the house. Danneel and Chad had joined him now, and were standing just behind Jared as the man addressed him, ‘How may I help you, Sir?’

 

‘I’m here to see Lord Weatherly,’ Jared replied curtly, letting his tone convey just how unwilling he was to leave without seeing the man. 

 

‘I’m afraid Lord Weatherly isn’t here at the moment, Sir. He’s in town on business until next month,’ the manservant answered, his eyes dropping to the floor as he spoke.

 

 _Fuck._

 

Jared hadn’t expected that. He’d been sure that Lord Weatherly would bring Jensen back to his family home instead of keeping him in town. There was no way Jared would be able to find Jensen if the man hadn’t done that; Lord Weatherly could literally be holding Jensen captive _anywhere_ in London. 

 

It was over. Jared had failed. 

 

His heart felt like it was shrinking in his chest, folding in on itself under the weight of his loss, and he really needed to get away from there before he broke down completely and made a fool of himself…or before he died of a broken heart, which felt like very real possibility right then. But just as Jared turned to leave, Danneel whispered discreetly in his ear, ‘He’s lying.’ 

 

Jared’s head shot up, his heart stuttering back to life, as he narrowed his eyes at the man standing in front of him. He didn’t know what Danneel had seen but he wasn’t about to question her, not when she’d spent her whole life in the company of thieves and liars. And if the manservant _was_ lying, then the chances were that Jensen was here, trapped somewhere in this house and still within Jared’s reach. 

 

Jared grabbed onto that tiny shred of hope with both hands, holding it close, adamant not to let it go until he absolutely had to, until he’d proven beyond _any_ shadow of a doubt that Jensen wasn’t there. And he’d search every last corner of Lord Weatherly’s estate to do that. That in mind, Jared pushed past the manservant into the house, ‘In that case, would you send a telegram to him about my arrival please. I’ll wait here until he returns; I’m sure that’ll be alright.’ 

 

‘No, Sir, I can’t…you can’t…,’ the man stammered nervously and in the light of the hallway, Jared could see the sweat beading on his skin…maybe Danneel was right, maybe the man _was_ lying. ‘Lord Weatherly doesn’t like guests.’ 

 

‘I’m more of a friend than a guest really. Let’s just say Lord Weatherly and I have something very important in common,’ he added with a grim smile. ‘Unless, of course, there’s some _reason_ that I can’t stay here?’ He took a step towards the short man then, towering over him as he asked in a hard voice, ‘Is there, man? _Is_ there a reason?’

 

‘I…I…’ the man stared up at Jared, panic in his eyes as he searched for a believable lie that would make Jared leave; eventually, though, his shoulders slumped in defeat when he obviously couldn’t think of one. ‘No, of course not, Lord…’

 

‘Winchester,’ Jared said with confidence as he moved out of the hallway and into the main house, giving the place a subtle once over. Unfortunately, there was nothing that seemed out of place, nothing that pointed to where Jensen might be being held. Naturally, he hadn’t expected it to be _that_ easy or for Lord Weatherly to be that sloppy, but even so, the lack of clues was disappointing. He had no choice, therefore, but to carry on with his plan. ‘I’ll need a room for my man and his wife as well; next to my own would be preferable.’ With that, Jared passed his coat to the manservant, hoping the gesture would be interpreted as the dismissal it was. Thankfully, the flustered little man took it as such and scurried off with Jared’s coat slung over his arm. Jared watched him go, sure that the man’s haste to comply had been more out of eagerness to tell Lord Weatherly about their arrival than any real to desire to give Jared and his friends some privacy.

 

‘So what now?’ Chad asked, stepping up beside Jared. 

 

‘Now, we go back outside.’ At his friend’s confused look, Jared continued, ‘Look, this house is pretty big, not to mention that there’s got to be half a dozen outhouses and miles of grounds surrounding the manor…we haven’t got a hope in hell of finding Jensen before Lord Weatherly moves him someplace else if we start searching every room. They’ll probably be long gone before we find the right one.’ Chad and Danneel nodded in agreement, ‘So I say we use the best lead we’ve got - Lord Weatherly himself. If Danneel’s right, the fucker’s in here somewhere with Jensen, and since I strongly suspect that we’re the only other people here, us and that manservant, he’ll be set up in the only occupied room in the house. So…we go outside and see which window’s lit up and then trace it back to the room they’re in.’ 

 

Chad’s expression turned doubtful, and rightfully so if Jared was honest; it wasn’t a great plan but it was the best he’d been able to come up with in the short time he'd had since his original plan had fallen through. Lord Weatherly hiding away like this had come as a bit of a surprise; Jared had kind of hoped to confront the man as soon as he arrived and make him confess to where he was keeping Jensen. As that hadn't happened, Jared had been forced to make some quick, and somewhat less than satisfactory, revisions to his rescue ploy. ‘But what if he’s _not_ here, Jay? What if he really _is_ in town like his man said?’

 

Jared clenched his jaw, not wanting to entertain that idea in the slightest, ‘Well, let’s just pray that he’s not.’ Jared caught the worried look exchanged between Chad and Danneel, and his stomach did a nervous little flip of its own. God, if this didn’t work, he really didn’t know what he was going to do. Sure, he had money, but so did Lord Weatherly, and Jared couldn’t help but think if he didn’t find Jensen soon, then the other man would take the boy so far out of his grasp that Jared would never be able to find him. 

 

And, no question, if that happened, Jensen wouldn’t be the only one who was lost…Jared would be damned as well.

 

NEXT.


	16. Chaptr Sixteen.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Right, nearly there guys, so close to the end. (If anyone’s still with me ) God, did I enjoy writing this scene *evil grin*. Hope you guys like it!! By the way, I think ‘scarpered’ is a very British word so for everyone else, it just means he ran away. I just couldn’t help using such an awesomely amazing word. I love it and I’ve never had the chance to use it before so sorry about that! xx

** Chapter Sixteen. **

 

Jensen shook his head and tried to twist away as Lord Weatherly lit the candle in his hand, but the ropes around his wrists and ankles held him down. Held him laid out for the man to do whatever he wanted to him. And he had. Jensen’s skin was littered with burns and bruises, covered with patches of red tender skin, and Jensen tried very hard not to think about how torn up he felt every time he shifted on the mattress below him. Clearly, now that Jensen was ‘legally’ his property, Lord Weatherly wasn’t so concerned about damaging him. 

 

Jensen stared at the first drop of wax, barely breathing, as it slid down the side of the candle. Just as it neared the base, Jensen screwed his eyes up tight, preparing for the blistering pain as it hit his bare skin, but the pain never came. Instead, there was a sharp knock on the door and Jensen opened his eyes in surprise; he couldn’t help but let out a relieved breath when Lord Weatherly cursed and blew the candle out. ‘Be right back, sweetheart,’ the man said, stroking his thumb across Jensen’s naked ankle. Jensen shot him a hate filled glare and tried to kick the Lord’s hand away, despite the bonds, but the bastard merely chuckled and walked over to the door.

 

Once Lord Weatherly had unlocked it, he opened the door just a sliver, but it was enough for Jensen to see the person on the other side. The caller was unknown to him and, if the lecherous way the guy was staring at him was anything to go by, Jensen thought it was fairly safe to assume that he wasn’t going to help him. So he just laid back on the bed and tried to ignore the hungry eyes he felt roaming over his naked body. 

 

‘WHAT!?’ Lord Weatherly’s angry shout had Jensen’s head whipping back round to look at the two men. The man at the door was no longer looking at him, the leering grin long gone from his face, as he cowered in the doorway. ‘What do you mean he’s _here_?’ 

 

Who? Who was here? 

 

Whoever it was, it sure sounded like Lord Weatherly didn’t want them here so…so maybe they’d help Jensen, maybe this mystery person would save him…

 

Jensen immediately started pulling at his restraints, screaming into the gag in his mouth and making as much noise as he possibly could. Hopefully, the person would hear him and come looking before Lord Weatherly managed to send them on their way. 

 

Lord Weatherly was by his side in an instant, slapping him hard across the face, but Jensen didn’t stop his struggles. He couldn’t, not when this was probably his last chance to get away. The Lord climbed on top of him then and Jensen tried to buck him off, thrashing and squirming beneath him…he needed to get free…he just needed to find whomever had come to the house…he needed to…

 

Lord Weatherly’s hand closed over his nose and lips, pressing the gag more firmly into Jensen’s mouth and down his throat. Panicked, he looked up into the Lord’s face, at the fury twisting his features, and for the first time since he’d met the man, Jensen actually feared for his life. Feared that perhaps Lord Weatherly was scared enough of this mystery person to kill Jensen to hide what he’d done? _No…no…please no…_

_Not like this…_

 

Jensen tried to turn away, tried to _breathe_ , but he couldn’t, and his chest was getting tighter and tighter, his throat burning with the need for oxygen, his eyes streaming…he was dying…he was dying and…and he’d never get to see Jared ever again…

 

Jensen’s struggles weakened, the world fading away and taking him with it, when suddenly, he could breathe again. The weight on his chest was gone and the gag was being ripped from his mouth. He coughed and spluttered, his body shaking violently as he drew in breath after frantic breath. ‘Shhh, Jen, calm down, deep breaths.’

 

Jensen looked up in confusion because he knew that voice; he just didn’t know what that voice was doing _here_. ‘Danni?’ he croaked as the girl leaned down and started to untie the ropes around his wrists and ankles. ‘Danni?’ he said again, barely able to believe what he was seeing. 

 

His friend smiled at him as she gently pulled his arms away from the headboard and placed them by his sides. ‘Yeah, honey, it’s me. We came to save you,’ Danneel said, her hands massaging his aching muscles.

 

‘We?’ Jensen asked, frowning. What did she mean by ‘we’...? 

 

Then he heard it – flesh hitting flesh, pained grunts filling the air, and he turned his gaze to the other side of the room. 

 

_Jared_

 

Jared was there and he had Lord Weatherly pressed up against the wall as he landed blow after blow to the man’s abdomen. 

 

Jensen stared on in disbelief…Jared had come for him.

 

** Jared. **

 

‘Jared!’ 

 

Of course, Jared knew the first rule of fighting was to not take your eyes off your opponent but he couldn’t help it; it was like his body was hardwired to give Jensen whatever he wanted. So he looked over his shoulder for just a second, just to get a quick look at the boy, but it was enough for Lord Weatherly to catch him off guard with a knee to the stomach. Groaning in pain, Jared lost his grip on the other man, and received a harsh blow to the temple for it. 

 

The next thing he knew, _he_ was the one up against the wall, with Lord Weatherly’s arm wedged against his throat. ‘This is for humiliating me in front of all my friends,’ the man hissed as he pressed his arm harder against Jared’s neck, ‘and _this_ is for trying to take something that doesn’t belon-ʼ

 

Lord Weatherly let go of Jared with a yelp, his hands coming up to clutch at his shoulder instead. Jared only caught a glimpse of Jensen and the poker gripped in his hand before Lord Weatherly snatched the weapon away. ‘NO!’ Jared shouted, launching himself towards them, but he wasn’t fast enough to stop the man from bringing the poker down on Jensen’s head. The boy dropped to the floor like a sack of bricks, blood trickling down from his hairline and staining his pale cheek. 

 

Jared stared at Jensen for a moment, at the boy’s tiny broken body, before he let out an almost feral growl and barrelled towards Lord Weatherly. He seized the man in an iron grip and dragged him against his chest, before wrapping an arm around his throat. ‘That boy _never_ belonged to you, nor did he belong Miss Cohen.’ Jared tightened his hold as he continued, ‘You might’ve bought his body, _branded_ yourself into his skin, but his soul was never yours…because that’s not something you can buy; it has to be given willingly. And it has been, to _me_.’ Jared quickly grabbed the bottle of chloroform from his pocket, unscrewed the lid, and upended it over his shirt sleeve. As soon as the material was drenched, Jared smashed it against Lord Weatherly’s face, a sense of smug satisfaction burning in his belly at the poetic justice of it all. The man in his grasp had used this very poison to cause so much suffering, and now Jared was going to return the favour, with interest. 

 

Lord Weatherly clawed at his arm, trying to get away, but Jared just squeezed harder, letting all the anger and hate he felt towards the man bleed into his hold. Soon enough, the man’s struggles tapered off and he slumped in Jared’s arms. 

 

Jared immediately let him go, not wanting to touch the bastard any longer than was absolutely necessary, and quickly moved away. He didn’t even look round when he heard the body hit the floor with a dull thud; he only had eyes for one person in that room right then, and it certainly wasn’t Lord Weatherly. 

 

Jared knelt down by Danneel’s side, looking at where she had Jensen’s head cradled in her lap. The boy looked terribly pale and so still, lying there…almost like he was…

 

‘Danneel…’ he choked out, the word a question and a plea all at once.

 

‘He’s alive,’ she said, her voice soft as she ran a hand through Jensen’s sweat-darkened hair. ‘He’s battered and more than a little bruised, Jared, but he’s alive. He’s lived through worse than this.’ Jared all but collapsed onto the floor next to them, relieved tears springing to his eyes. _Thank God._

 

‘I can’t believe he did that,’ he said, shaking his head, not sure whether he should be angry or proud of the boy lying in front of him. ‘Lord Weatherly could’ve killed him.’

 

‘Well, people do stupid things when they’re in love.’ Danneel quirked an eyebrow at him, ‘Don’t they, Jared?’

 

Jared looked around the dishevelled room, at the unconscious Lord sprawled out on the floor, and couldn’t help but laugh. ‘Yeah, I guess they do. Do you think he-ʼ

 

The end of Jared’s question was lost in the flurry of Chad throwing the door open and bursting into the room. ‘The manservant got away but I don’t think he’s gonna be much of a problem; he took one look at me and scarpered, the fucking coward. My guess is, he’s not got any loyalty to this asshole outside of being paid to keep the guy’s dirty secrets.’ Chad tilted his head to the side, looking down at Lord Weatherly as he added, ‘Huh, I’m kind of sad I missed this; I really wanted to punch the fucker in his smug face.’

 

Jared laughed as he stood up and clapped his friend on the back, ‘Don’t worry, Chad, Lord Weatherly’s gonna get what he deserves, and more.’

 

Mischief sparkled in Chad’s eye as he asked, ‘Sounds good to me. So what _are_ you going to do with him?’ 

 

Jared didn’t answer; he just looked down at Lord Weatherly and grinned.

 

NEXT.


	17. ChapterSeventeen.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Just one more chapter to go now, guys, and that’s pretty much just my porny happy ending. Well, here’s the next little bit which wraps up a few loose ends.... xx

**Chapter Seventeen.**  
  
 **Lord Weatherly.**  
  
  
Lord Weatherly slowly opened his eyes, wincing at the bright morning light shining in through his office window.  He leaned forwards with a groan, cradling his head in his hands and willing the painful thumping in his skull to stop.  What the hell had happened last night?    
  
  
Unsurprisingly, it took a few moments for Lord Weatherly’s muddled brain to realise that the hammering wasn’t actually in his head; no, it was coming from the door of his office.  Jesus, it sounded like a herd of damn elephants was trying to break in.  Frowning, Lord Weatherly stood up and made his way over to open the door, but as he reached out to turn the key, he froze.  His hands were covered in blood.   
  
  
Lord Weatherly gasped as he looked down at his clothes in horror; those, too, were _drenched_ in blood.  He spun round to look at his office, eyes widening as he took in the blood splattered across the walls…the blood sprayed across his desk…the blood dripping from his letter opener.  It was everywhere.   
  
  
What…what was going on…?  
  
  
Lord Weatherly didn’t have much time to wonder about it, though, before the door crashed open and four policemen barrelled in.  He instantly found himself bent over his blood soaked desk as his hands were dragged roughly behind his back and handcuffed.   
  
  
‘Lord Michael Manning Weatherly, you are under arrest for the murder of Lord Samuel Winchester on the night of January 31st 1852,’ the man holding Lord Weatherly down droned in his ear.  
  
  
‘Wait, what?  Lord…Lord Winchester?  I didn’t kill that asshole; he…he attacked _me_ …you’re making a terrible mistake…’  
  
  
But no-one was listening to his protests; instead, Lord Weatherly was dragged from his mansion and towards the police carriage parked outside his front door.  Before he was pushed inside, though, Lord Weatherly’s eyes landed on a man he’d never seen before, but who was undoubtedly the companion of Lord Winchester that his manservant had warned him about. The girl standing at the stranger’s side confirmed his suspicions because Lord Weatherly _definitely_ recognised her, the little whore.  Anger flared inside him, burning hot as he spat, ‘It’s them; they did this!  They _framed_ me!’  The whore turned her tear stained face into the man’s shoulder at Lord Weatherly’s shouts, and the man placed his arms around her in an act of comfort so convincing that had Lord Weatherly not _known_ they were lying, he would very well have believed it himself.   
  
  
But that was all it was, an act; they’d fucking set him up.  ‘You’ll pay for this, both of you,’ he growled as he fought against the policeman’s hold.  Winchester’s man looked at him then, an evil smirk on his face, just as the policeman gave Lord Weatherly a particularly hard shove into the carriage.   
  
  
‘Get your goddamned hands off me,’ he hissed.  ‘Do you even know who I am?  I’m a Lord, for Christ’s sake; you can’t treat me like this.’  
  
  
The policeman climbed into the carriage after Lord Weatherly, taking a seat opposite him and answering his protest in a tone that the Lord felt bordered on disrespectful, ‘Unfortunately, _Sir_ , your case has been given priority status; you’ll be up in front of the judge before nightfall. ’  
  
  
‘What?’ Lord Weatherly choked out.  ‘But…but I need to contact my lawyer! This is absurd!’  
  
  
‘A lawyer has already been appointed to defend you but, if I might be candid, Sir, the evidence against you and Miss Cohen is pretty damning.’        
  
  
‘Evidence?  What evidence?  And what the hell does that harpy have to do with anything?’ Lord Weatherly asked, panic really starting to set in now; the situation had gone far beyond ridiculous and had charged right on into terrifying.   
  
  
He scowled when the young man stared pointedly at his blood stained clothes, but forced himself to remain quiet as the policeman answered his question, ‘Well, _aside_ from the state of your clothes _and_ your office _and_ the bloody letter opener on your desk, we have several witnesses who claim that Lord Winchester came to stay here last night.  Miss Harris and Mr Murray have said that you and Lord Winchester fought when he arrived, that you made threats against his life, and that when they woke up this morning, their friend was missing.  Add to that the letter on your desk from Miss Lauren Cohen asking for you to get rid of Lord Winchester, and the Crown has a very strong case against you.’  The man paused for a moment before adding, ‘It also doesn’t help that Lord Winchester was a special friend of Lord Padalecki.’  
  
  
Lord Weatherly felt the blood drain from his face so quickly, he was genuinely afraid that he might pass out.  He’d never met Lord Padalecki, since the man worked abroad, but Lord Weatherly had certainly heard his name and he knew how much influence the man held in the city.  He also knew how many friends the Lord had, and just how important those friends were.  Fuck, he was screwed.  
  
  
‘But…but there’s no body,’ Lord Weatherly snarled, waving his shackled fists at the officer.  ‘If I killed him, where’s his damn body?’   
  
  
‘Well, we found drag marks down by the river; that’s the best place on the property to dump a body, I figure…or at least that’s what my Sergeant said,’ the young man shrugged and turned to look out the window, obviously deeming the conversation over and Lord Weatherly’s fate all but decided.  Clearly, no-one was going to believe him, let alone give him the chance to tell his side of the story.  _Oh god..._   
  
  
Lord Weatherly clenched his fists as rage and fear and _hate_ swept through his veins.  That boy…this was all that boy’s fault; Lord Weatherly wished he’d never laid eyes on him…that _fucking_ whore had ruined everything.  And Winchester.  God, in that moment, Lord Weatherly wished he truly _had_ slit the bastard’s throat; at least then he’d have some company on the ride down to hell.    
  
  
NEXT.


	18. Chapter Eighteen.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It’s finally done! I’m so so sorry it has taken me so long to get this out but I’ve been having some real problems with my back and neck and shoulders and pretty much every-freaking-thing connected to them! Not that that’s a good excuse (I’m probably just being a wuss anyway) but it’s really difficult to write when I’m in so much pain. So that’s my reason for being so tardy with this; good or bad, there it is. 
> 
> Anywho, this is the last chapter for this one and it’s pretty much just porn. Now, guys, please remember that porn really isn’t my forte so please don’t expect too much with this one. Also, this has got rimming in it (the prompter specifically asked for this) so if anyone’s squicked by that, maybe this chapter isn’t for you. Enjoy!

**Chapter Eighteen.**  
  
 **Jared.**  
  
It had been a hard two weeks, filled with pain and uncertainty, but it was finally over.  Lord Weatherly had met the hangman’s noose, and Miss Cohen was currently aboard a ship sailing to some faraway land, destined to spend the rest of her miserable life there with no hope of ever returning to the civilised world.  Personally, Jared felt that she should’ve joined Lord Weatherly in his gruesome fate, but in the end, it didn’t really make much of a difference.  The only thing that mattered was that neither of them would ever be able to hurt Jensen again.  
  
  
‘Don’t take it off just yet,’ Jared said as he helped Jensen down from the carriage, smiling at the little huff of frustration the boy let out in response.  He couldn’t really blame Jensen for being impatient; the journey to get them here had been a long one, and Jared had kept the boy blindfolded for nearly half of it in an effort to preserve his surprise.  He wanted Jensen’s first time seeing this place to be memorable and something he would keep with him forever.   
  
  
Now they were finally here, though, Jared’s fingers itched to remove the blindfold covering Jensen’s eyes.  But he couldn’t…not yet, so he carefully guided the boy through the flourishing gardens until they stood in front of Jared’s favourite place in the whole world – Lakewood Manor.  After finding Jensen and falling in love with him, Jared had decided that he would return to England for good, and that this would be the place where he’d spend the rest of his life.  Hopefully, with Jensen by his side.  ‘Okay, I’m going to take the blindfold off now.’  
  
  
Jared heard Jensen’s breath hitch as he pulled the silk away.  ‘You live here?’  
  
  
‘ _We_ live here,’ Jared answered, wrapping his arms around Jensen’s waist and pulling him back against his chest.  
  
  
Jensen tensed in his arms and Jared tightened his hold slightly, certain he knew exactly what Jensen was about to say.  He was sadly proven right when Jensen quietly asked, ‘Jared, I don’t…are you sur-ʼ  
  
  
‘Yes.  For the hundredth time, yes.’  Jared turned Jensen in his arms.  ‘And my answer will always be yes.  No matter what happens, no matter if we fight or get mad at one another, my answer will _always_ be yes.’  
  
  
Jared leaned down and pressed a kiss to Jensen’s slightly parted lips, revelling in the fact that he would be the only person to do that from now on.  Here, he would be able to protect Jensen, keep him safe like he’d wanted to from the moment he laid eyes on him.    
  
  
When they parted, Jared nosed at Jensen’s jaw, taking a moment to breathe in the boy’s scent, before he whispered in his ear, ‘Would you like to see the rest of the house, Jensen?’  The boy nodded against Jared’s shoulder.    
  
  
‘How about we start with the bedroom?’ Jared asked, kissing the soft skin behind Jensen’s ear (and _thoroughly_ enjoying the shiver it sent down Jensen’s spine.)  ‘Would you like that, baby?’  The boy had barely finished nodding before Jared hoisted him up, chuckling quietly at Jensen’s indignant squawk, and carried him inside.    
  
  
‘You know, that really wasn’t necessary,’ Jensen griped from his new position in Jared’s arms, but he didn’t sound _nearly_ as put out as Jared thought he was probably trying to sound.  
  
  
‘Necessary?  No,’ Jared replied as he nuzzled into Jensen’s hair.  ‘Hot?  Definitely.’  Jensen squirmed slightly at that, his cheeks flushing a delicious pink as he turned his face away, and Jared couldn’t help but grin at the shy gesture; apparently, he wasn’t the only one who found this insanely hot.  ‘Anyway, it’s symbolic.’  
  
  
Jensen pulled back a little to look Jared in the face then as he asked, ‘Symbolic?’  
  
  
‘Well, if you’re going to my husband, it’s only right that I carry over the threshold the first time we enter our new home,’ Jared replied, trying to sound confident, even though he wasn’t absolutely sure that Jensen would say yes.  The boy was safe now, after all; he didn’t need Jared’s help anymore.  He could go out and live the life he should’ve lived in the first place, free and unmolested.  Jared just hoped, _prayed,_ that Jensen felt the same way he did.  
  
  
‘Husband?’ Jensen asked, his voice so quiet that Jared couldn’t even begin to work out how Jensen felt about the idea.  Was it too much?  Was it too _soon_?  Did Jensen want to enjoy his new found freedom, experience all the things he’d missed out on, without being tied down?  
  
  
Jared nodded, stopping just outside the bedroom; he wasn’t about to walk through the door and take that final step, when everything was still so uncertain between them.  If Jensen didn’t want this one hundred percent, then Jared would let him go…even if it would break his heart to do so.    
  
  
‘You want me to be your husband?’ Jensen asked again, his voice a little stronger this time but his tone still not giving anything away.  Jared nodded a second time, his stomach twisting itself in knots as he waited for Jensen’s response.  ‘Oh God,’ Jensen choked out, his voice utterly wrecked, and Jared was positive that it was going to be a no, but before he could take the offer back…before he could tell the boy that it was okay to say no, Jensen’s lips crashed into his own.  
  
  
It took a moment for Jared to realise that _this_ was Jensen’s answer.  This was Jensen saying yes to becoming his husband; yes to spending the rest of his life with Jared.    
  
  
And just like that, all of his doubts vanished, leaving Jared feeling giddy and so damn relieved he couldn’t help the huff of laughter that left his lips as he pressed Jensen up against the wall next to them and kissed him.  Long, languid moments passed, and soon the relief faded away, turning the kiss into something more, something deeper.    
  
  
Jared brought his hands up to cradle the boy’s face as he deepened the kiss, putting everything he felt for Jensen into each brush of their lips, into every swirl of his tongue.  When they finally broke apart an eternity later, Jared rested his forehead against Jensen’s, feeling breathless and overwhelmed but more content than he could ever remember feeling.        
  
  
Jensen was the one to break the silence between them, each word breathed against Jared’s lips, ‘You really are my angel.’  He shook his head.  ‘I can’t believe you still want me…after everything.  I can’t believe that someone like _you,_ someone with all this, could want someone like m-ʼ  
  
  
Jared cut him off with another kiss, unable to listen to Jensen doubting himself a moment longer.  ‘I’m not an angel,’ he said, pulling back and looking the boy in the eye.  ‘Far from it in fact.  If I were, then I wouldn’t want this.  I’d want you to go out and see the world, see everything you haven’t had the chance to see…but I don’t.  I want you with me, more than anything, and I know that makes me a terrible person, but I just…I can’t imagine my life without you now.’  Jared sighed, running a hand down Jensen’s face as he added, ‘And, just for the record, Jen…there hasn’t been a second since we met that I’ve _not_ wanted you.’  
  
  
Jensen placed his hand over Jared’s then, holding it against his cheek as he stared up at him.  His expression was so open, so _honest_ , that Jared could’ve sworn he could see into the boy’s very soul right then, and everything he saw shining there was mirrored perfectly in his own.  ‘Well, that’s lucky then because I can’t imagine my life without you either.  I don’t want to see any of those things if you’re not by my side; I’d rather die than lose you now.’  Jensen turned his head slightly and pressed a soft kiss to Jared’s palm as he whispered, ‘Take me to bed, Jared.  Take me to bed and make me yours.’  Heated green eyes suddenly met Jared’s gaze, ‘Only yours…forever, Jared, _please_ …’  
  
  
That desperate plea echoing in his ears, Jared tore Jensen away from the wall, kicked the bedroom door open and all but tossed the boy onto the bed.  He looked down at Jensen for a moment, sprawled across the navy sheets, his heart pounding so hard in his chest that it drowned out every other sound in the room.  Unable to wait minute longer with that sinful temptation spread out in front of him, Jared quickly descended upon the boy, pulling at his clothes and underwear until Jensen lay naked and perfect beneath him.   All that flawless pale skin, so soft against Jared’s lips as he pressed gentle kisses to the boy’s neck…chest…shoulders.  ‘Turn over for me,’ he breathed into Jensen’s ear and the boy obeyed, presenting his pert round ass and sensuously curved back to Jared and his eager eyes.    
  
  
Jared couldn’t keep from reaching out, from running his fingers over the smooth skin and squeezing the globes in his hands.  Jensen shivered, the shudder visible as it ran up his spine, and it took an extraordinary amount of restraint on Jared’s part to pull away and strip off his own clothes.  He wanted so badly to be buried deep inside that tight little body, but he knew that that wouldn’t do at all.  Not tonight.  This moment was special; it was the beginning of their lives together and Jared wasn’t going to rush it.  He was going to make this night one Jensen would remember for the rest of his life.    
  
  
Now naked, Jared climbed back onto the bed, laying a hand on Jensen’s side and nudging him forwards slightly, ‘Move up the bed for me a little and put your head on the pillow.’  The boy quickly complied, his eagerness showing in every movement of his lithe body as he wriggled upwards so that his head almost touched the headboard.    
  
  
Jared leaned down to press a tender kiss to the top of Jensen's spine, smiling against the boy’s skin when Jensen let out a soft gasp at the touch of Jared’s lips.  He couldn’t help kissing his way down the perfect curve of the boy’s back, not when Jensen kept making those delicious shocked little noises every time Jared’s lips grazed his skin.  Kissing Jensen, _touching_ him, was more exhilarating than any drug Jared had ever experienced; it was addictive, all consuming, amping up Jared’s arousal and hunger with every hit he took.   
  
  
With one last kiss to Jensen’s tailbone, Jared gripped the round flesh of Jensen’s ass and pulled the cheeks apart to press a kiss to that special place hidden between them. It had been a long time since Jared had done this, but he knew it would drive Jensen crazy, and the prospect of having the boy mindless and desperate beneath him was just too tempting to pass up.    
  
  
He felt Jensen tense, his body jolting slightly as Jared’s lips touched his hole, ‘Jared?’  The boy sounded confused, like he had no idea what Jared was going to do to him and, given his history, he probably didn’t.  But that was okay because Jared was going to take care of him…he was going to show Jensen just how amazing sex could be with someone you loved.      
  
  
‘Shhh,’ Jared soothed as he stroked the back of Jensen’s thigh.  ‘You’ll love it, trust me, but if you want me to stop at any time, just say so, okay?’  
  
  
He waited for Jensen to nod into the pillow before pulling the boy’s cheeks apart again and licking a long, wet line from Jensen’s balls to the top of his ass.  The reaction was instantaneous; Jensen’s body arched off the bed, his hands gripping the sheets tightly as he moaned, ‘Jared…’ The word was breathless, shocked… _turned on,_ so Jared grinned and licked him again.  ‘Oh God…’  
  
  
He licked right across Jensen’s hole, pushing his tongue in slightly and lapping at the tight puckered skin over and over again.  ‘Jesus…what are you…oh my God…’ Jensen was rolling his hips now, pressing his ass back against Jared’s face in a wordless plea for more, and Jared was more than happy to oblige.   He stabbed his tongue past the first ring of muscle and licked deep into Jensen’s body.  
  
  
And just like that, Jensen’s whole body tensed, his ass clamping down on Jared’s tongue as he cried out and slumped back onto the bed.   
  
  
Was that?  Had Jensen just…had he just _come_ from Jared’s tongue in his ass?   
  
  
Jared pressed another gentle kiss to the bottom of Jensen’s spine, stroking over the skin there as Jensen turned to look over his shoulder at him.  All the pride Jared felt from making Jensen come untouched disappeared at the wary look on the boy’s face.  Jared licked lips uncertainly, getting an echo of Jensen’s musky taste, as he asked, ‘You okay, baby?’  
  
  
Jared’s worry intensified as he watched the nervous swallow Jensen made before he answered in a dangerously quiet voice, ‘I…I’m sorry, that’s…that’s never happened to me before.  It was just…you were just…it felt so good…and I just couldn’t stop myself…’  
  
  
Jared sighed in relief and dropped down onto the bed next to Jensen, thankful that nothing was actually wrong.  The boy’s concerns were completely unfounded and Jared didn’t hesitate to tell him so, ‘Don’t apologise, sweetheart; that was, without a doubt, the hottest thing I’ve ever seen.’  
  
  
‘Really?’ Jensen asked, a shy smile curving his lips.  
  
  
‘Really,’ Jared confirmed as he trailed his finger down Jensen’s spine and between the boy’s cheeks.  Jensen’s eyes fluttered closed at the touch and Jared leaned forward to whisper, ‘You want some more, baby?’  
  
  
Jensen nodded, catching his kiss swollen bottom lip between his teeth as he opened his eyes again and said, ‘I want you inside me.’  
  
  
‘Fuck!’ Jared cursed as the words sent blood rushing to his already painfully hard cock, the sensation almost ending the night embarrassingly early.  ‘Jesus, Jen, you can’t say stuff like that.’  
  
  
‘What?’ Jensen asked, his eyes sparkling with mischief and unbridled heat.  ‘That I want you inside me?  That I want you so deep inside me that I can almost taste you?  That I want you come in me, mark me up as yours inside and out?  I can’t say stuff like that?’  
  
  
 _Fucking hell._  
  
  
That was it…Jared felt his already tenuous control finally snap as the last word left Jensen’s lips.  With an almost feral growl, he pushed Jensen onto his back and climbed on top of him, dropping down at the last moment to plant a hard kiss on the boy’s smiling lips.  Jensen moaned and reached up to grab at Jared’s back, his fingers digging into the muscles of the Jared’s shoulders and sending hot sparks of arousal coursing through his body.  Jared pulled back, looking down at the boy, ‘The things I want to do to you...’  
  
  
And Jensen just stared right back, his lips shining and slick, ‘Then do them, Jared.  I want you to…I want everything.’  
  
  
Wholly and completely in agreement with that plan, Jared grabbed the small vial of oil sitting on the nightstand and inched his way down Jensen’s body again.  Placing a chaste kiss on the inside of Jensen’s thigh, he coated two fingers in oil and pressed them against Jensen’s already loosened hole.    
  
  
As they disappeared inside, Jared took Jensen’s cock in his mouth, gagging a little when Jensen thrust up in surprise.  ‘Sorry, sorry, sorry…’ the boy babbled above him, but Jared just pressed his fingers in further, searching for that special spot.  A strangled gasp less than a minute later told him that he’d found it, and Jared stroked over the bundle of nerves again as he sucked on the sensitive head of Jensen’s cock, pushing the boy to the limit of pleasure and beyond…and loving every second of it, loving every sound that escaped Jensen’s gorgeous mouth.    
  
  
‘Oh god…Jared…Jared…please…that’s enough, I need you…I don’t want to come again without you inside me…’    
  
  
Jared immediately pulled off Jensen’s cock, but left his fingers in the boy’s ass as he continued to stroke his insides, opening him up and watching the waves of pleasure play out across Jensen’s beautiful features.  He wondered once again how he could ever have lived without this?  Jensen’s green eyes opened suddenly, staring up at him desperately, ‘Please, Jared, now…’  
  
  
And Jared just didn’t have it in him to deny Jensen anymore, not that he really wanted to.  He quickly slipped his slick fingers free, swept them down his cock once, and lined himself up with the boy’s lubed hole.  ‘I love you,’ he breathed against Jensen’s lips.  ‘Always.’  And he pushed inside.    
  
  
Jensen’s hands came up to grip his shoulders again as Jared slid inside, burying himself completely in one hard thrust.  It was so hot, so _tight_ \- like Jensen’s body had been made just for him, fitting around him perfectly like no one else’s ever had.  ‘I love you too,’ Jensen whispered, his eyes bright and his voice shaky as he stared up at Jared.  Jared could understand, could feel the tumult of his own emotions swirling inside his chest.  ‘Move, Jared, _please_ move.’  
  
  
Jared nodded, resting his cheek against Jensen’s as he pulled out and thrust back in.  Jensen’s short, breathless cries every time Jared’s cock thrust against his prostate urged Jared on…made him snap his hips forward harder and harder, desperate to hear that sound again…desperate to feel Jensen clench around him when he hit that special spot.  He felt the boy’s hands tighten on his shoulders as he increased his pace, his own fingers clutching at the pillow on either side of Jensen’s head.    
  
  
‘Jared…’ Jensen gasped out suddenly, his body clamping down on Jared so tightly that Jared’s vision whited out for a moment before he flooded Jensen’s insides with his own release.  
  
  
As he came back to himself, Jared nuzzled against Jensen’s neck, ‘You alright?’  
  
  
Jensen squirmed beneath him, turning his head slightly to the side and letting Jared press a kiss to his lips.  ‘I’m _amazing_ ,’ he sighed, a lazy but utterly content smile on his face.    
  
  
‘In every way,’ Jared added with a smile as he rolled off Jensen and tugged the covers over both of them.  ‘And we’re going to be amazing together,’ he said, pulling Jensen close.  ‘For the rest of our lives.’   
  
  
‘You promise?’ Jensen asked, resting his head on Jared’s shoulder and closing his eyes.  
  
  
Jared smiled and ran a hand through Jensen’s messy hair, ‘I promise.  Now go to sleep; we’ve got all the time in the world to be together so get some rest.’   By the time Jared had finished speaking, Jensen was already asleep, so Jared just settled down himself and closed his own eyes, safe in the knowledge that he had found his other half and that they had their whole lives ahead of them. An eternity to spend together…to love one another to the fullest, and nothing would ever keep them apart again.  
  
  
THE END.          
  
Thank you all so much, you guys; you’re support has been amazing and wonderful.  Thank you for all of your great comments (and all the kudos for those over at AO3) – they mean the absolute world to me! J


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